Clandestine
by OrangeStar802
Summary: It only took 10 words to make Sasuke open up to a new reality that Naruto was never his friend, never the person he fell in love with but instead someone he hated and wanted out of his sight. But, really, reality isn't always what is seems. SasuNaru/NaruSasu. GaaNaru.
1. Confessions

**A/N:** So yea, again, I'll be editing stuff and hopefully really be working on this too. Clandestine is a rewrite of Change with a newer, more twisted plot whoo! (The fancier title should be symbolic enough) I just wanna see how much I draw in with this first chapter. Also, clandestine means secret or sly which we all hope its meaning would be understood soon enough if I really do get the chance to finish this fic this time. Chapter titles have their first letter to spell out clandestine by the way.

* * *

**con·fes·sion**

/kənˈfeSHən/ (_n_): 1. to acknowledge or avow (a fault, crime, misdeed, weakness,etc.) by way of revelation.

* * *

The bell for luch rang.

Sasuke had only then started collecting his books when an all too familiar voice called out to him. "Oi! Sasuke!" Although irritation had been present with a roll of his eyes, the slight twitch on his lips spoke of something else. He looked over to the voice only to have spotted a yellow blur. _Shit. _Sasuke had no time to prepare himself when on cue, a weight settled on his back just as a pair of arms wrapped around his neck, surely squeezing him to death. Fortunately, though, before he swore he would've just died, the grip was released; unfortunately, on the other hand, the death grip was transferred to his wrist.

"Hurry up, teme! We're eating at the rooftop today. You and me. No buts!"

"Alright, alright," Sasuke grumbled, hurrying with his belongings.

For years, Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto had long been best friends. Unlike any normal relationships, no one even suspected the bond that would have come between them. Every single encounter they had then were glares, curses and physical blows; rivalry was the best way to have explained what they had. So it had been a surprise really when one day they had come across one another, more battered and bruised than any other time they've seen, and just bumped fists, laughing like there was no tomorrow. To this day, there were still those who didn't understand or accept what had really happened. And yet, to this day, there was absolutely nothing that kept them apart. Even if a certain Uchiha tried to deny the label Naruto was to him.

As soon as both had reached the windy rooftop, they went over to their usual spot by the corner where there was enough shade and warmth at the same time. They automatically sat down, leaning on the chest-level ledge that kept any suicidal student at bay. Ever since their friendship caused issues when it came to fangirls and noise, the place had become their one and only solace. Basically, with their occasional visit, it had seemed as if it was theirs and theirs to keep and occupy. Besides, nobody ever bothered going up to the place. And if there were, let's just say, they took matters into their own hands.

It was quiet at first -not counting Naruto's "ITADAKIMASU!"- knowing there was a certain topic they had to discuss, yet both uncomfortable with bringing it up. Shortly after taking a few bites though, Naruto, not at all the type of person to be in the silence and confident it wasn't Sasuke who's going to bring it up anytime soon, started with a low voice. "You'll be leaving early tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah." Sasuke sighed, taking an uncomfortable bite out of his onigiri.

There was an awkward silence before the blond set his bento aside, brought his knees close and set his head down with a huff. Sasuke stared at the blond with a confused expression. "Maaaan! I'll be a lonesome person when you're gone. They'll all suddenly count me out since I have no best friend." The raven rolled his eyes at the ridiculous idea. Naruto then seemed to turn to him with a serious expression, brows scrunched together, as he took a sip of his milk."Hey what do you think about me being an emo?"

Sasuke, did not, all, expect that. He ended up choking on his drink trying to picture his best friend garbed in black, face and hair limp and dead. Nope that was utterly _horrible. _ He set his beverage down, coughing at the liquid that made its way to his esophagus too quickly. Turning to Naruto with a raised eyebrow, as if to say, _what the hell?,_ his best friend only ended up laughing. Soon enough, the rich, warm tone, as always, had him laughing as well. He never knew how the blonde's blabbering nonsense always turned into some form of entertainment and a drug to his senses when it only served to annoy him in the past. Nevertheless, it never failed to raise his spirits.

When the laughter soon died out, Naruto whined, "No, seriously! Why do _you_ have to go, Sasuke?"

Sasuke sighed. "Dobe, we've been over this. My whole family's going. I have to. It's father's business trip, okay?"

"Hmph. No!" Naruto fumed stubbornly.

"You make it seem like we're leaving for good. It's only 5 years."

"Yeah. 5 years of me being miserable!"

"...what exactly is the argument there?"

"I don't know! I just don't want you to go!" At that, the blonde began poking at his bento dejectedly.

Sasuke couldn't help the twinge of sadness that overcame him as well. It wasn't like he wanted to leave either, but there was no choice in the matter. The only thing he could hold on to was just really the fact that he was coming back. Sighing, he stared at Naruto poking his octopus-shaped hotdog, a memory flashing in his mind. "Dobe, stop that. Don't want another octopus getting the wrong idea, do we?"

The blonde snapped his neck at him, amusement and irritation dancing in his eyes. "Hey! It wasn't my fault that stupid thing didn't want to let go! What about you when the freaking starfish..."

And for the next minutes, they began reminiscing their stupid and hilarious memories. Most people would say that Uchiha Sasuke wasn't one of many laughs, but if one accidentally ended up in the roof, it would surely be a sight to see. But then again, as long as Uzumaki Naruto was by anyone's side, _anything _wasa sight to see. Sasuke was just the most special case. Emotions flitted so much in the air, a certain atmosphere of brightness surrounding the two. It was really something.

When the conversation soon ended with a _yeah_, Naruto breathed out a sigh that started to calm him down. Bright blue eyes diminished to darker, serious ones as it seemed trailed the ledge around the rooftop. He stood up too suddenly, to Sasuke's confusion... and just hopped up the ledge.

"Dobe, what do you think you're doing?" Sasuke stood up as his face contorted into horror when the blonde almost lost his balance, two arms raised at his sides.

"What do you think? I'm going to jump of course!" he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

For a second, Sasuke seemed to believe him. "What- _Are you crazy? _Why are you-"

"I hate everything." A shiver ran through Sasuke's being when Naruto had said it so cold and monotonous. "I hate the fact that you're leaving, the fact that a lot of things could happen between us soon, and the fact that there's only few hours to spare with you like this."

The first thought that bombarded Sasuke's mind was _What the hell? _Just minutes ago, everything was fine. They had been acting like their normal selves and making the most out of their time. He wasn't even sure how this had been brought on. How could Naruto seem so... desperate all of a sudden? Eyes wide, he tried to form words to get the blonde down. "Naruto-"

And then Naruto was laughing just as he jumped down in front of him. "I'm just kidding, Sasu!" he snorted, "Did you really think I was gonna take that emo thing seriously?"

Yes, yes he did. It had sounded so convincing that Naruto would just rather end it there than let time tick away to their inevitable separation. _What in the world was going on? _Although he knew it was impossible to glare Naruto down, Sasuke did anyway. "Why the hell did you even-"

Light cerulean eyes fell and before the raven could've read the deeper emotion between them, Naruto walked away, leaning on the other corner of the ledge, his back facing him. "Today's really the day and this is not some kind of dream, huh?"

There it was again. His tone turning low, terrified and desperate. It scared Sasuke a bit that it sounded _so _real. Like it was truly how Naruto conceived this situation they were in. It scared him because it was the blonde's optimistic attitude he was really wishing to see now. "Dobe, what's with you? " he said slowly. "It's just 5 years. We're not migrating," he tried to reassure him once again with the fact he too reassured himself with.

"It's not that!" Naruto seemed to snap. Upon catching Sasuke's widened orbs, he said softly, "It's just... a lot can happen in 5 years... and I'll miss you, Sasuke. Soon, I might not have any friend anymore."

The way Naruto said it, Sasuke can't help feel the pool of dread in his gut. The blonde really sounded shaken and unaccepting of this reality in front of them. It was as if he really believed the utter nonsense he was spouting out. Especially the last part. Sighing, Sasuke realized he was gonna be the one to keep the mood light for now. "Dobe, you're _literally _surrounded by them." It was true, anyway. Any person Naruto talks to, immediately becomes one. It was an ability he hated about the blonde once. The idea that he wasn't the only friend he had in his life.

Naruto didn't say anything at first, falling into a pensive silence. That immediately had Sasuke worried. Why was he suddenly looking so deeply into everything? This was something he rarely saw in the blonde, meaning something he wasn't completely used to. Sasuke took hesitant steps towards him.

"But-" Naruto suddenly said, voice lower than the last, already shaking this time. "It's different, of course. _You're _different."

"Naruto..." If his words surprised him, Sasuke was utterly unprepared to see crystal tears falling from the blonde's eyes as soon as he stood beside him. Being the joyous person he is, never in Sasuke's life had he thought he'd see his best friend cry. What the _hell _brought this on? Of course he knew he'd miss the idiot too. Was he really just less emotional than his best friend that he wasn't feeling the same ounce of sadness such as this?

No, scratch that. He did feel it. That terrible knowledge of separation between the two of them a mere hours away from now. Naruto was someone he treasured, even if he didn't say nor admit it too often. And he knew what the blonde meant when he said he was different. Even with the avalanche of friends that came his way, it was really only Sasuke who understood Naruto more than anyone. The same went for him. And it was that idea that made Naruto fear his departure, fear the idea of isolation, having to separate himself from someone who might as well be his conscience. Sasuke. His brother in all but blood. And that there had struck the sadness which now poured out of him. He wasn't sure why he couldn't trust someone else after this, but if he was in Naruto's position, it was hard to replace a Sasuke.

To him, it was _impossible_ to replace a Naruto.

Of course, the raven had no way to confirm these ideas. But he just felt it. He felt these thoughts, the raw emotion pulsating out of his friend. It was as if he just really knew that their minds had the general idea of what was to come. They shared that fear, the anxiety, the utter desolation in losing someone as significant as the other. He was right... a lot could change in 5 years and he was scared of that change. Who was he without the blonde? He _needed _him and yet... there was nothing he could do about the situation.

Despite all this though, there was something else he saw in Naruto's eyes. They seemed shattered and just plain terrified. There was dread and so much of it written all over his face. _Why _was he this scared?

Again, he felt a twinge it his chest as his eyes began to prickle. He really would miss the idiot terribly. But right now was the significant time for him to regain his role as the emotionless, more mature between the both of them. Without a second thought, Sasuke took his best friend into his arms. It helped that he was taller, allowing him to ruffle the blonde hair. "Ssshhh... stop crying, you idiot." It was really this warmth, this awful familiarity that his being would long for. Something he was already missing just now. It hurt knowing time was ticking down upon this experience.

"I-I'm sorry," came Naruto's muffled voice. "You don't understand. I'm just-"

"Yeah, scared, I know," Sasuke said softly, a bit confused when he felt the blonde tense in his arms. "But you really are an idiot if you're trying to think that far and not the time we have right now."

"H-Heh. When did you start sounding so cliche?"

"Ever since a certain dobe decided to cry."

"You're the one to say. My shoulders feel wet, teme."

Sasuke's eyes widened as he did begin to see drops of liquid falling on Naruto's back. His hands reached for his cheeks, tracing it up to his eyes. Maybe he too was scared after all. If anything, he was supposed to be the one who was terrified of what awaited the other in his absence. Naruto was more capable of change than he was. Were his words unconsciously meant for him as well? Just as he was about to utter a threat for Naruto not to mention this to anyone, he instead said, "Hn. Suck it up. I'll miss you too, dobe."

"Te..." -he sniffed, beating a weak fist at him- "...me!"

Accompanied by the gentle breeze, they just stood there, wrapped in each other's warmth and comfort. Sasuke didn't mind. He knew very well that this was all the time they had to themselves. Soon, there was the Uchiha family to deal with. Besides, this was their last free time on the rooftop before 5 years swept their physical connection away. Seconds later, both flinched as they heard the bell rang.

Naruto immediately let go and wiped his tears. Without looking back, he grabbed his lunch and sped off after saying, "I-I'll see you later!"

Sasuke only smiled. He was pretty sure he saw Naruto flustered.

What he didn't though were the blue orbs that were still dead.

* * *

Sasuke and Naruto headed off to the Uchiha mansion as soon as the dismissal bell went off. God knows how large the demonic fangirls would grow and run after them if they stayed any longer. After all, it would be years before they saw their precious Sasuke-kun again. How the information leaked out, they'll never know. Once the school was a dot away behind them, the two had immediately been invaded by silence as neither knew how to say anything right after what occurred hours ago. However, as always, Naruto chose to break it soon enough.

"Uhhhh... sorry... about a while ago, I mean," he muttered uncomfortably, blushing a little as he rubbed the back of his head.

_Oh he is_ so _not living this down. _"That's alright. Though I never really thought I'd see that side of you. You're more emotional than a girl, dobe."

Naruto's face finally fully reddened. "Sh-shut up, teme!" he grumbled, "It wasn't like you weren't crying either!"

Sasuke took pride in the fact that they were silent tears anyway so the comment didn't bother him really. His reputation for being stoic was still safe. Sort of. In Naruto Standards anyway. "Hn."

It was then that they arrived, passing the usual grand black gates, walking around the circular fountain, and entered the black and blue designed mansion. After years of staying over, Naruto was pretty much used to the place, enough to not have his eyes flying around, his neck twisting here and there. It wasn't like there was much to be fascinated about in the first place. Fugaku and his father had pretty much the same minds when it came to designing and architecture. Imagine their surprise when the neighbors blocks away saw both structures. Fugaku was grumbling while Minato just passed it off with a hearty laugh. It wasn't like they had the _exact _same design anyway.

As both reached the left corridor, Sasuke was surprised when he turned to his best friend and, once again, only caught on to a yellow blur. Hurried footsteps raced towards the opened door on the right and Naruto's shrill voice confirmed his thoughts as to who had become his victim.

"Itachi-nii!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes as he leaned on the door frame. He smirked, seeing the 12-year old dangling from his brother. Typical Naruto. He just watched as Itachi's surprised black eyes turned to soft, gentle ones whilst ruffling the blond mop and setting the child down.

"Hello Naruto-kun," the older raven said sweetly. To Itachi, Naruto was someone he was much more fond of as a little brother rather than Sasuke. The younger Uchiha would be lying if he said he hadn't envy his best friend for that in his younger years. He looked up to Itachi like any younger brother did. The thing was though... his older brother wasn't sane. He wasn't sure how his obnoxious schemes hadn't infuriated him then, but at a mature age such as 9, Sasuke had enough. For three years, he had already gotten over his annoying brother. He still liked him, sure, but only a minuscule portion of how he had when he was six. As for Naruto, said schemes didn't really deter him from loving the idea of Itachi being his older brother so much. In the end, the older raven just accepted the fact that Naruto was different, causing his sweeter brother side to be poured onto the blonde.

Once Naruto was set down and he had sat on the bed with a pout, he said, "I came to say goodbye... since I can't wake up as early as you guys to see you off."

Again, Itachi ruffled his head and Naruto's pout vanished. He always liked it when he did that. "I know. It's summer after all for you. It would be surprising to see you up at 3."

"Hey!"

The older Uchiha only raised an eyebrow.

"...yeah... you're right." Naruto grumbled.

Itachi smirked. "I'll still need to pack, okay? I'll meet you at dinner, Naru. Mother and father are in their room too if you want to see them."

Naruto jumped off the bed with a large smile on his face. "Okay, I will! See you, Itachi-nii!" His eyes landed on Sasuke. "C'mon, teme!" And he was off.

Itachi trailed the bubbly blonde before turning to the younger Uchiha, his once affectionate smile turning sinister. "Otouto..."

"Hn. Whatever." Nope, he wasn't dealing with his brother now. He'll have 5 years of that torment anyway. With that, Sasuke used his foot to kick himself from the door frame and followed his best friend deeper through the corridor. Upon his arrival, he saw a scene only a certain blonde was capable of doing. Sasuke had to hold on an erupting laugh. His mother, though, didn't mind letting it out. She was chuckling at Fugaku who happened to be on the floor, trying to say something as his head rose and fell. He gave a defeated sigh, staring at the blonde on top of him, dangerously squeezing his neck. If Sasuke looked closely, he saw the man's lips twitch upwards.

"Hey Uncle Fugaku! I came to say my goodbyes! Dad sends his regards as well!"

Fugaku winced at the high-pitched voice. Not having the heart to berate his sort-of-nephew though, he merely did the same as Itachi and ruffled the blonde's unruly hair. Sasuke smirked. No one in the Uchiha family was safe from Naruto's charm. He was pretty sure if anyone did that to his father, it would be the most awkward sight to see. But if it was his best friend, it looked natural. As if Fugaku wasn't a cold-hearted, strict businessman and just an upbeat, soft-hearted father. Sasuke shuddered.

"Alright, kid. Now get off me." Naruto got up, doing as he was told. He then eyed Mikoto and proceeded to hug her from the waist. She merely chuckled once again.

Once her laugh shrunk into a smile, she patted Naruto's back and the blonde let go. "It's a good thing you're here, 'Ruto, we're having ratatouille for dinner. As much as I want you to eat those, I need you to help me finish the last ramen cup."

If Naruto's occasional visits taught the Uchihas anything -aside from his sudden tackles and death grips- Naruto _hated _his vegetables. If that was provided, it only served to intensify his already horrendous amount of love for ramen. And so, lacking the parents who knew eating too much ramen was obviously unhealthy -seeing as Naruto got it from Kushina and Minato- Mikoto took it into her own hands to be that parent. She took extreme measures for the blonde to balance his food intake with vegetables, going as far as lying about dinner or the fact that there was no ramen in the cupboards when, in reality, there _always _was. Besides, seeing Naruto eat them was an interesting entertainment.

"Blech! Vegetables," Sasuke turned to his best friend, showing a face of disgust.

Though it amused him, Sasuke called out, "Dobe, you'll have to learn to eat them someday."

"Yeah? Then someday will take long."

The raven rolled his eyes.

"Sasuke?"

He turned to his mother. "Yeah?"

"Head up to your room and see if you've packed everything, okay? Naruto will follow shortly."

His eyes landed on the blonde who was giving him a reassuring, wide smile. "I'll be fine, teme. Aunt Mikoto's just going to give me my secret mission! I'll be there before you know it."

Although the situation still confused him slightly, Sasuke scoffed, "Whatever, dobe. Just don't try anything stupid while I'm gone."

Naruto blew a raspberry at him, giving the raven his cue to leave.

Yeah right.

Sasuke quietly hid beside the door frame, trying to overhear the conversation. What did they need to talk about with the blonde that shouldn't have him involved? Of course his initial thought was that they were to discuss something _about _him. But since when did his parents decide to bring Naruto in it? He _had _to hear this.

"Naruto..." he heard his father say.

"I know, uncle," Naruto said, his voice devoid of anything light and playful. "Again, I'm really sorry... for keeping the truth from him for so long."

"It disappoints us, 'Ruto," Mikoto said gently, "but doing this is enough for us. It's better than letting him live with a lie."

"Yeah... In advance though, I'm sorry for the trouble he'll bring you the next 5 years. It's the only way I could see it happen."

"For all our sakes," Fugaku muttered defeatedly, "let's just hope he'll understand someday."

"'Ruto, I think you better go. Sasuke might end up getting you here instead."

"Hah. Yeah. Damn bastard has no patience and..."

At that point though, Sasuke had already ran off, anger boiling in him. Just what lie had he been living in his whole life? One thing was for sure: he shouldn't have heard that. Now, he just had to focus on acting normal before whatever was meant to happen happens.

* * *

As soon as the maids called everyone for dinner, their dining happened as similarly as they did every time Naruto was present. Naruto starts a conversation with anyone but Sasuke, who he always chooses last. Said victim had no choice but to be pulled in by Naruto's encouraging words, not having the heart not to engage the blonde in conversation. Once everyone had their piece in joining it, Naruto then retreats to Sasuke while those three continued on. He starts a little, innocent conversation, which then, as per the norm, heats up and turns into a debate... of some sort. Mikoto begins chuckling, hearing the pointless argument, which causes the other three's attention to fall on the children in the table. Itachi ends up joining in once Naruto "hires" him as a "lawyer" as soon as the blonde realizes his downfall. Things conclude when the two end up calling each other names and as soon as words got more colorful than intended, Fugaku steps in to shut them up. Silence ensues... and then the laughing... and before they knew it, everyone had finished their dinner, amusement dancing in their eyes.

Once all the plates had been taken, Naruto bade his sort-of-last farewells to the Uchihas, leaving all of them a death grip to remember. All three seemed to command Sasuke to assist Naruto out, which found the young Uchiha glaring at them for telling him the obvious. Of course he was going to do that. As they both headed out, neither saw the playful obsidians turn into concerned ones.

Immediately, the two were met only by a gentle breeze and the sounds of the cicadas, their limited time together suffocating the both of them to silence. For completely different reasons, two chests clenched, two hearts beating too fast for their own good. This was it and neither black nor blue orbs could connect in fear of what was to come. For a while, no one said anything.

"I guess... this is goodbye, then, huh?" Naruto said shakily, rubbing a hand behind his head.

Sasuke risked glancing at his best friend whose eyes were dull and melancholic. His chest tugged painfully, though a bit distracted by earlier's memory. "Yeah..." What was the blonde waiting for? Shouldn't he be telling him something now?

An awkward silence fell between them. "So... I'll see you in 5 years?"

The raven momentarily glanced at him in confusion, surprised to see Naruto smiling sincerely. "5 years..." It was then that his eye caught the blonde fidgeting uncomfortably. Here goes nothing...

"Bye then, Sasuke."

_Huh? _Before Sasuke could reply, Naruto just ran without even looking back. Wasn't he supposed to have told him something life altering? It just didn't make sense. Did Naruto lose the courage to bring it up? He shouldn't have, right? There was a lie that had to be unveiled or else-

Sasuke froze.

_What the hell was he doing?_

This was the last time in the next 5 years that he would be seeing his best friend in person. Sure he's frustrated that some certain information he had to know of was being withheld from him but... didn't Naruto mean much more than that? Thinking back to how their parting had gone, his chest fell. That was it. Not even a last insult, a hug, a kiss, a glare, a death grip, a smile- No, wait... what did he just think of? _Did he say kiss? _Sasuke blushed frantically. Agh, nevermind that. Save the thought for later. There was no time to think about it now when his world was falling apart at the realization that that single 'Bye, then' was the last thing he was left to remember of Naruto and all his tangible form for the next 5 years.

All the years that accumulated to now... it wasn't enough! He wanted a better goodbye, a better way to remember the one true person who managed to change his world. He didn't even get a touch of the idiot. At least ruffle his hair, bump fists, trace the damn whiskers, pull him close for a ki- _for a damn hug! _It was his own fucking fault! The last chance he could've acted, at least, and he didn't! Maybe it was what Naruto was waiting for... and yet... nothing.

He _didn't fucking act_.

5 years with this guilt. No. He couldn't live with it. Some secret information be damned.

Adrenaline coursing through him, Sasuke's legs moved. Sure he was more than just bothered that there was a portion of his life that was a lie, but it would _kill _him not to have expressed to Naruto just how much he mattered to him. Just how much torment it brought him at the knowledge of their separation. Sasuke gasped as he felt a tear fall from his eye. He knew he would miss Naruto. Horribly so. And it was all his fault that his distracted mind caused the their unsatisfactory parting. It was bad enough that the same situation occurred during their moments in his room and at the dinner table. Naruto's downcast eyes conveyed enough then.

_Dammit!_

Sasuke did his best to run as fast as he can towards a certain mansion 13 blocks away. He just knew he had to do _something_. _Anything. _He had to leave a better memory. He needed to make Naruto understand. He had to-

"Ow! Hey! Watch where you're- Sasuke?"

The young Uchiha stood up, relief freeing his chest upon seeing blonde locks and wide blue eyes. "N-Naruto!"

"What the hell, teme? What are you doing here?"

Sasuke wasn't sure what to say. He looked around, suspiciously narrowing his eyes upon realizing he was just two blocks away from his place. "I could ask you the same thing. You should be home by now. Or close to it anyway."

Naruto immediately looked away. He murmured something Sasuke didn't hear.

"What?"

The blonde ruffled his hair tensely. "I... That goodbye was stupid, wasn't it?" Blue eyes looked up, shy and unsure. "I- I mean... that's what I thought anyway. Stupid, sentimental me, huh?"

Sasuke smiled, lightly punching the blonde's head. It unnerved him to think that this was the same person who had yet to divulge a certain information. "Of course you're stupid... but so was the goodbye anyways."

Naruto's eyes widened before giving a gentle smile. "Was that why you ran for me too?"

Heat flared in the Uchiha's cheeks. "Hn." What _was _that by the way? He had entirely been consumed by his emotions from the moment Naruto had left his side then. That was... odd yet at the same time it was the realest emotion he had ever felt in his whole life. Huh. What was _that_ supposed to mean?

Much to his pleasure, the blonde didn't push the subject. "Anyways, I have stuff to tell you!" A feeling of trepidation ran through Sasuke's insides when he said that, mouth thinning.

To his surprise though, it turned devilish. "One: do remember that you are Uzumaki Naruto's best friend!"

For a second, Sasuke could only roll his eyes at that, forgetting his earlier anxiety. "What am I? Your dog?" Was Naruto really stalling? Why? Shouldn't he- No, wait, nevermind. Let him. Sasuke knew deep down in him he was utterly grateful for it.

He watched Naruto's face turn into mock horror. "How could you! You're not even in States yet and you've forgotten already? Oh gods this is bad!"

"I have a good idea where this is going, dobe. If that's all, I'm leaving," Sasuke tried to tease, turning around at his words. What he didn't anticipate though was his wrist being yanked back with so much force that he almost fell. "Hey!" He was met with pain-filled blue eyes.

"Alright alright! I'll stop fooling around for once!" Naruto grumbled.

Sasuke crossed his arms, his posture rigid nonetheless. Could this finally be it?

The blonde gave an exasperated sigh. "I meant it. A lot can happen in 5 years. I know we'll end up calling each other a lot" -he rolled his eyes- "or I will anyways, so that means you are not, I repeat, _not _to withhold any information from me especially if some stuck up bastard decides he or she is your new best friend! Are we clear?"

The raven saw sapphire blue orbs playful, yet in them was shaking steel which seemed desperate for his answer. He also didn't fail to notice that his wrist had yet to be released and every second, Naruto's hand was clenching it too tightly. Sasuke sighed. Really now? "Alright. Though you're not the boss of me, really. Besides, do you really think someone has enough stubbornness as you to worm their way into my life?" He ruffled the blonde hair. "Don't worry about it, idiot." He saw relief flash into those eyes and the hand finally let go.

"Huh. You're right," he snorted, "Like anyone has the heart to befriend you."

Sasuke glared at him. "Where's this headed exactly?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Ehe... sorry."

Silence fell between them and abruptly Sasuke remembered something. His pocket felt heavy all of a sudden, his fingers twitching unsurely. It didn't seem like Naruto was gonna reveal anything anytime soon. Should he-

"Oh right!" Sasuke flinched when Naruto unzipped his bag and tried to locate something in it. With an _'Aha!',_ he brought out an orange box tied with a blue ribbon. His smile was strained as he handed it to him. "For you!"

"Why-"

"Just open it, teme!"

Upon orders, Sasuke untied the ribbon and gently opened the lid. He couldn't help but gasp as he reached for a necklace with a red and white fan pendant hooped around the black rope. It was obviously worn and that only meant- _Oh Gods. No. _This was... how could Naruto have... He eyed the blonde with so much awe and disbelief. "How did you-"

"Ehe," he chuckled nervously. "There were a lot of fakes, ya know? It was 8 months ago you told me you were leaving so I thought why not leave you with something right? I had people search for the last heirloom of the Uchiha family and I did it myself during semestral break. That was kinda why I was gone by the way. Turns out some old blind guy didn't know what he was selling and his daughter didn't know about it either so I paid them a decent price for it. So there. You have the last heirloom aside from the Sharingan necklace your brother has and the old Uchiha katana Uncle Fugaku has in his off- Ack!"

Sasuke didn't know what to say. As soon as he realized Naruto was rambling too much, he knew in him that he didn't care anymore. Naruto had given him the last, most important heirloom to the Uchihas. Something he had sought so much and desired before Itachi could get his hands on it. Only very few knew that the only way to determine if the heirloom was real was the red 'U' at the back of the pendant said to have been splattered with blood in the olden days. And now... he just couldn't help squeezing his best friend to death. Of course he was grateful he had it, but this time it was the thought itself, the fact that Naruto searched this for him that he knew he never could've asked for a better friend.

Surely this couldn't surpass whatever information was being hidden from him right?

_God he loved Naruto!_

Sasuke stopped at his words.

He...

He loved Naruto.

Was that why he didn't want to let go of his best friend right now? Why this physical contact they shared threatened his heart to explode? Was _this _the main reason he didn't want to leave at all?

He knew well in him it was a horribly large yes.

"Sasuke, okay, you're killing me!"

The raven let go. He wasn't doing anything strenuous and yet he felt as if he'd run a marathon coming to that conclusion. He found it difficult to breathe. "I-I still can't believe-"

Naruto smiled. "I know! I'm awesome! Here, give that to me." Without waiting for his consent though, the blonde took it from his hands and placed it over his head and around his neck. "There. Uchiha through and through."

Sasuke reached for the pendant, turning it over and over, still fazed by the heirloom in his hands. He looked up at his best friend who seemed to be smiling as if he was watching a kid taste his first chocolate. There was satisfaction and amusement in the idea that he had done him good. Why had he realized just now how amazingly mesmerizing that smile was? Sasuke tried to hold in a blush. "I-I don't know how I-"

"Save it, Uchiha. You finally acting like a kid is enough for me," Naruto teased.

"You idiot, you don't even know how much-" And then it hit him. "Close your eyes."

"What? Why would I-"

"Just do it."

Naruto grumbled but succumbed to his demands anyway. "You're not gonna do the happy dance and not let me see it, are you?"

"Shut up." Sasuke made sure the blonde wasn't peeking before he reached into his pocket and drew out a necklace which he placed around Naruto's neck. He heard the blonde gasp the moment the pendant landed on his chest. "You can open them now."

The blonde seemed to do a double take as he reached for the three objects hanging on the black rope. "Sasuke, you- "

Sasuke smirked. "Pure sapphire. It looks exactly like your eyes, doesn't it?"

For the first time in the many years Sasuke had known him, Naruto can't seem to form any words. His fingers gently held onto the elongated stone and onto the two bells hanging beside it as his mouth opened and closed. He noticed how pale he had turned.

"It isn't as grand as giving me the heirloom but-"

"Are you kidding? Gods this is..."

Sasuke couldn't help smiling at the disbelieving whisper and the wide eyes full of wonder. He wasn't lying when he said the stone looked exactly like his best friend's eyes. Beautiful and light, dazzling and captivating; the moment his own eyes landed on them, he knew it was something worth buying for a certain someone.

"Fucking hell."

The Uchiha felt immobilized at his spot. He wasn't sure if his ears were deceiving him or Naruto's voice had just went dead and cold. Before he could've tried getting a grasp of the situation though, Naruto had suddenly started laughing. It wasn't the usual ringing tone he was used to hearing; this one sent a shiver down his spine for a different reason. Just like his voice, it had no tone of any mirth whatsoever. Naruto just continued to laugh uncontrollably, clutching at his stomach as he pounded on the wall beside him. What the fuck was so funny? An awful ominous feeling washed over him as Naruto's apathetic, teasing blue eyes fixated at him.

"This is _just _great. Fucking hilarious!" Out of nowhere, he raised a cynical smile as he brought the blue stone on his lips, giving it a light kiss. Sasuke would have blushed if it hadn't been for his utter horror of this situation. "Thank you so much, Sasuke... for leaving me with this. For giving me a remembrance of... _this... _whatever it is we had..."

Sasuke still felt as if he couldn't move, his eyes only able to widen at whatever it was was happening in front of him. "Na-"

The blonde didn't pay him any sort of attention, merely bringing the stone up to the glow of the streetlight as if trying to decipher its inner structure. "Oh don't worry, Sasu, I swear I'll keep it. I love it so much. Really." He finally turned to him, giving Sasuke a smile which the raven could only describe was fake. "I want to thank you for it. And for everything actually. For the- What... 7 years we've been together? Wow that's been long huh? I guess-"

"Cut the crap, Naruto! What the hell are you saying?!" Sasuke shouted. Right then, he felt as if someone had just managed to mess up his insides, beating every one of his muscles, his limbs, his organs, twisting and wrenching them into nothing. And yet, it couldn't even compare with the pain that struck his chest. What was this? He couldn't breathe, couldn't even see clearly through his hazy vision. Some sort of force seemed to cause his whole being to feel limp and weak. He couldn't move. Surely Naruto was just fooling around right? _Right?_

"Aw," -Naruto stepped forward- "Don't you get it," -and took another- "Sasuke-teme?" Already, their breaths fell upon one another. With a smile, the blonde rose on his tiptoes and whispered into his ear:

_"I never liked you, you know? Everything was a lie."_

And then he was chuckling manically, without a care at the world that shattered right in front of Uchiha Sasuke's eyes. Everything seemed to slow down and Sasuke could only see through the tunnel of his vision the blonde waving a goodbye as he walked away without ever looking back.

"I'll see you in 5 years... haha can't wait to be your rival again! Oh and Sasuke? _D__o _keep the necklace. "

* * *

Obsidian eyes fluttered open upon feeling a tap on his shoulders. They were landing soon. He took the earphones off and adjusted himself, trying to get circulation on his legs. Upon recalling his dream, his hand unconsciously went for the fan pendant and he can't help but gripping it tightly. It was ironic to have remembered that memory when he was finally coming back. It was that day which changed his whole life. The day which his perception of Naruto and their relationship had completely changed. _Twice. _

He had loved Naruto, that he was sure of. But the sudden revelation he had been given the last few moments of that night broke something in him. Naruto was practically the only person who had gotten so close to his life, and more importantly, his heart. He hated how weak he had seemed when the information he had long been waiting for was thrown right at his face. Naruto had made a fool out of him, toying with his emotions the past 7 years. And it was the biggest mistake Sasuke had ever made in his life -_trusting. _

Trusting that Naruto was different.

Trusting that Naruto wouldn't hurt him.

If there was anything that equaled the feeling he had with Naruto nearby then, it was the feeling of giving him pain. The blonde was right in saying they were better off rivals. And now, he had made the wrong choice to wage war against the Uchiha. Naruto had hell to pay for what he'd done.

With that thought, he did the one thing he had never done in years.

Uchiha Sasuke smiled.

* * *

**A/N: **Yes they were 12 years old but let's not forget that there are reasons for them to have matured much more than their age says. And really, let's stop prejudice just coz of a number. When I was 12 lots of shit happened haha. On another note, has my writing improved? No? Damn.

What did you guys think, though? Things didn't really go as angsty as I planned it but I hope you get the gist that Naruto and Sasuke were rivals then best friends then rivals again. What's to happen now? How are they supposed to meet and interact? Could love really conquer all in this story? Was Naruto's words really that true? Haha review to find out! Anyways, update may come hopefully soon but I don't want to raise your hopes up so yeah don't.


	2. Limbo

**A/N: **Whoo udpdate! Don't get used to this quickness though haha. Also, author promotion goes to **thumbsup69 **who gave me a different idea to use that concerns Korea in this chapter. She said I don't promote her and her stories too much... which of course is a lie... sort of. But yea. Might as well. Hello you weirdo, if you are in fact reading this. So yea. Enjoy!

* * *

**lim·bo**

/limbō/ (_n_): 2. d: a state of uncertainty

* * *

Upon feeling the Uchiha Jet land, something uncomfortable seemed to have twisted at Sasuke's insides and he was completely sure that it wasn't all the turbulence which had caused it. Was he actually feeling scared now, of all times? No, it wasn't that. It shouldn't be that. For 5 years, he had taken the liberty to return to the only emotion he found himself comfortable with–stoicism. Naruto may have made him unacquainted with it for a while but that didn't mean it was entirely lost in his system.

Naruto…

Again, the sinking feeling rushed at Sasuke's gut. Ugh. The raven heaved a sigh, trying to get whatever frustration he had in his system. He was surprised to realize how tense his body was and how his jaw was clamped so tightly. This shouldn't be happening. Sasuke had yet to see the certain sun-kissed skin, lemon-toned hair and glimmering blue eyes… basically, the features of some annoying specimen… and yet, his resolve was already shattering. Goddamn, hasn't he already spent the past 5 years hating and planning that Uzumaki's death?

That was right. All he had to remember was the fact the blonde had never been his friend. That all those years he had been laughing at his back for his stupidity and the trust he gave away too quickly.

"Sasuke?"

"I'm coming, kaa-san."

Right. It shouldn't be that hard.

As soon as they entered the arrival area, Sasuke's initial expectation was for any certain member for his family to be assaulted by a demonic blonde. For someone like Naruto, it was quite possible for him not to have grown out of his childish tendencies. He found it highly realistic. However, when no physical attacks or whatsoever came, Sasuke inwardly gave a sigh of relief. Soon enough, his vision caught on a lone red-head in the distance.

His chest fell at that. Right. Minato was…

Sasuke's grip on his bag tightened, forcing himself to move on. He didn't fail to notice how heavy his steps suddenly felt though.

"Okaeri, Sasuke."

The raven looked up to see a gentle smile and Kushina's green-blue eyes. Before, the only thing he remembered that glimmered in them was her pure motherly charm, as if her gaze usually meant to be fixated only on him. Now, though, it sent a twinge at his chest to see the masked melancholy in them, her mind obviously on something else that was tugging her away from this moment. It didn't help that something flashed in her eyes at the sight of him.

"Y-Yeah," he muttered.

"Naruto fell back a while ago to take a call. He broke up somewhere far from here I think. You-"

"It's okay, Aunt Kushina. I don't need to see him too quickly," he firmly replied. It wasn't like Sasuke meant to disrespect her nor give her any more reasons to think that he's changed for the worse, but couldn't she possibly have known what had occurred 5 years ago?

Sasuke watched her smile fall a little. "Okay. But I'm afraid you have to. Will you go get him for me please?"

He was about to refuse when he realized that there seemed to be a hidden intention for Kushina to have the opportunity to talk to his parents. _Of_ course. "Hn." With that, Sasuke excused himself from the rest.

The raven contemplated on his task once he was away from everyone's vision. Should he really be doing this? He really meant it when he said he didn't want to see Naruto too quickly. As a matter of fact, he didn't want to see him at all. Why else had he resort to _that _decision 2 years ago? Sasuke really would appreciate the idea of seeing the blonde when absolutely _had _to. For example, this day now when his father's business trip was done. He couldn't just help this situation from not happening. What he _could _help though was delaying his interaction from the blonde, both verbally and visually.

He just really _really _didn't want to see Naruto. Just thinking about the traitorous idiot did funny things with his insides and always brought out his desire to punch _anything_.

The Uchiha sighed. He could always just watch Naruto until he heads back and make it look as if it was really Sasuke that had fetched him. And besides, Kushina just told him to get Naruto. Might as well just drop by, say 'your mom says to come back already' and then leave. Yeah. That was something less troublesome to do. From there, it didn't take Sasuke too long to figure out where Naruto was located. After all, who else wore an orange jacket that bright? Wait, was he doing Plan A or B?

Sasuke's feet spoke for him as he slowly but confidently walked over to the blonde. It wasn't like he was going to continue raising the idea to Naruto that he was still that weak-willed, vulnerable 11-year old. No, he's changed and part of that was never letting Naruto have the opportunity to toy with him once again. Just as he was about to clear his throat to have his presence acknowledged, he had apparently recalled just now that Naruto was, after all, talking to someone on the phone. Sasuke didn't mean to overhear the conversation but what else was he supposed to do?

"Uh huh really now? You're still sick. Stop forcing yourself or I'm kicking your ass when you come tomorrow." Sasuke heard a raspy voice on the other line. "For a school genius and someone who plans on becoming a doctor... that's _really_ stupid, you know?" Naruto countered, chuckling a little after. "Alright alright, get well 'kay? Ah shut up you. Bye."

Despite the resolve to overcome his curiosity, Sasuke had been too distracted by the conversation's outcome that he hadn't noticed Naruto turning around until their foreheads collided.

"Ow! What the- Sasuke?"

The raven grunted, rubbing his forehead. He couldn't stop himself from blurting out,"What the hell is your head made out of, dobe?" He glanced at the blonde whose mouth was agape as some flashes of emotions danced around his eyes. Sasuke immediately cursed himself. Why again was he speaking to this idiot with so much familiarity? He sighed. "Nevermind. It's probably steel and _cheap tricks."_

As if broken from a trance, Naruto crossed his arms and simply scoffed. "Ah c'mon, Uchiha, no need to be a sore loser about those days. That was _years _ago!"

_Uchiha, huh? _Sasuke made it a point to turn around. "Whatever. I was just told to get you."

"Oh okay. What are we waiting for then? Let's go."

The raven didn't bother to reply as both made their way to their parents without saying anything. Upon the gentle humming that suddenly came out of the blonde's throat, Sasuke risked a glance at the person that had once been his closest companion. In the past years, he never really had much contact with him. Sasuke took enough pleasure hating the blonde in his mind. The only times he had seen Naruto was from the many occasions Kushina or Naruto himself videocalled their family. Sometimes, it was the blonde in the screen he saw or more usually, he just passed by the camera.

This Naruto beside him was way more different than he had imagined. Sure, every time he overheard their conversations, he had noticed the change in the blonde's voice but hearing it now brought a slight shiver down Sasuke's spine. It was richer and huskier than the last time he had heard it in person. Other than that, despite the orange jacket and dark jeans which covered his build, he still saw how broader they've become, how much thicker, yet still slightly slender they looked. Beneath the white vee, he was pretty sure there were some abs in there. Even on his face, Naruto had lost most traces of his childish features. His jaw was set firmer, baby fats lost on his whisker-stained cheeks. And yet, it still held that certain look which made one deduce that he was someone who smiled a lot. His hair grew a bit longer, making it almost similar to Minato's but with still a faint trace of his own hairstyle. Lastly, though, it was the twinkling blue eyes Sasuke can't help staring at. They were still as bright, if not particularly brighter, than he had recalled. It was as if beneath those pools were so much emotions waiting to burst out and ready to suffocate him into its light.

Wait... what the hell was he saying?

"Sooo..." Naruto suddenly said. The blonde's eyes caught his and Sasuke was left to stare at something else than the idiot's eyes -which so happened to be the necklace dangling on his neck. Naruto quickly clasped the stone. "Ah! This? Told you I'd keep it, didn't I?"

Sasuke scowled. "I don't recall telling you to."

"But I did anyway so eh! I'm actually surprised you followed what I said though," the blonde said slyly, eyeing his own necklace.

Sasuke clenched his hands at his side, remembering once more that night he had never felt so vulnerable. He wasn't completely sure either why he bothered to keep the accessory, when it was obviously one more puzzle piece in Naruto's ruse, but having it close to him never failed to intensify his anger. Every time he placed it on, Sasuke was always reminded of that night, of all those years of deception and his resolve steeled. That had been his only reason. He hated the idea that Naruto made it seem as if he really had no choice then but to comply to his request. Reigning in the vile hatred that caused his hand to clench, Sasuke growled, "Don't you have some other shit to talk about?"

Naruto paused, as if thinking about it for a while. "Hmm... shit like... what stuff else I thought of those 7 years between us?"

By the time Naruto finished his sentence, Sasuke had cornered Naruto to a wall, grasping the collar of his jacket tightly in his hands. He glared the blonde down, rage boiling in his chest. It was then that he not only realized that his once-best friend was almost the same height as him, but his blue eyes remained level and cool as he took Sasuke's glare head on.

Naruto scoffed, smirking contemptuously. "5 years and Uchiha Sasuke, ladies and gentlemen, has yet to let go at the largest stab on his pride. Hah. How utterly _predictable_. Last I learned you were anything but, right?"

_Yeah... In advance though, I'm sorry for the trouble he'll bring you the next 5 years. _That had been what Sasuke overheard the blonde say back then during his conversation with his parents. And, really, trouble he had been. Even with the slow process of him learning about the Uchiha business and going to school, Sasuke was _never _distracted of his anger against the Uzumaki. The only way he had managed to channel all those were through the many self-defense lessons he regularly took and the constantly replaced punching bags in their training room. And he knew, from all those battered items and opponents, just one punch at this idiot would at least quench his bloodlust for a while. Sasuke cocked his fist back.

"What the _fuck _is going on here?!"

At that, a pair of hands separated his own from Naruto's collar. Sasuke had half the mind not to make a scene by redirecting his anger at this person who decided to intervene by simply turning to glare at his brother. "It's none of your business, Itachi."

The older Uchiha glared levelly with him. "This is _entirely _my business, otouto. Do you know what this action of yours could wrought upon-"

"_Entirely your _business? What shit are you spouting out this time? You have no-"

"_Yes, _I do. I-"

"Bullshit."

"If you'd just care to understand _where _and _who _we are then-"

"Maa maa, calm down you guys." Both brothers snapped their attention at the blonde who had his hands behind his head, a foot supporting himself by the wall. His eyes were glinting, lips tilted slightly upwards as if suppressing his full-scale amusement at what was being presented in front of him. "Barely a minute I see you two together and already you're bickering."

The older Uchiha all but growled, "Barely a minute I see _you_, Naru, and my brother's already pinning you to a wall." Sasuke was actually surprised to see Itachi _glaring worse _at Naruto, his eyes flashing as if he cautioned the blonde to be careful with his words. The Uzumaki took it with cool eyes and Sasuke simply watched the two stare at each other as if silent messages were being thrown back and forth. A minute later, Naruto relented.

"_Alright aright_," he turned to the younger Uchiha, "I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have provoked you like that." He once more gazed back at Itachi, "There. Happy?"

The oldest among the three closed his eyes for a while, his jaw clenching a little. Sasuke would have thought he was ready to punch the living daylights out of Naruto –an idea which he found both odd and still quite possible– with the way his hand clenched and unclenched until Itachi sighed and snapped his eyes open, running a hand through his hair. "Honestly, I don't know what I'm going to do with you."

Naruto gleamed, pushing himself off the wall. "Good to see you again, Itachi-nii!"

Just like old times, Itachi messed the blond hair. What changed though was that he reached higher than he had to years ago. "Trouble still chasing you around then?"

The blonde shrugged. "Beats me. I must be pretty irresistible."

Sasuke snorted at that, his presence once more being remembered. "Yeah. Like moth to a flame, maybe." When two pairs of eyes merely stared at him, the raven pocketed his hands and walked away. "I'm leaving."

He had gone pretty far when voices trailed behind him, a shrill laugh followed by a slightly less monotonous voice, detailing how he had learned of their supposed fight. It somehow involved a distressed banshee, a worthless security guard and Itachi's divine intervention but Sasuke was too lost in his mind to hear the conversation.

If he had been hesitant just a few minutes ago of how he felt about the blonde's mere presence, he was certain now that he _loathed _the blond Uzumaki. The fight had definitely riled him up and reawakened him to the simple reality that Naruto was an eyesore and the only way he could solve the dilemma which bubbled in his insides were multiple punches which wrought pain consisting of broken bones and blood. Lots and lots of blood.

He hated the idea that Naruto had once again managed to have manipulated him in the short time they've met. Naruto had made him look like a _child _that never got over the cookie being stolen from him. He didn't understand how nor why but the blonde seemed to know just how to prod his anger. When Sasuke thought about it though, it was really the eyes that ticked him off.

The very moment Naruto had seen him, it was as if he couldn't be bothered to care about the last time they talked. Sure, he had a moment of speechlessness but it had immediately been replaced by calm indifference and superiority. There was unmistakably no fear nor hesitation in having to address Sasuke at all. Especially by the time the raven ended up pinning him to the wall. It was as if he wanted to provoke him on purpose and remind him painstakingly that rivalry was all they had. He managed to suck in all of Sasuke's anger and raise it more drastically with cool, impassive eyes.

The idiot had smiled at claiming victory.

"Ah so we're all here then!"

Sasuke snapped his head up upon hearing Kushina's voice. It was a good thing too because he would've hit the blonde man in front of him then. He simply sighed as said man then immediately bypassed him and went over to Naruto and Itachi. _Ah great..._

"I finally get to meet you, Naru-kun! You're so much cuter in person, un!"

Naruto, who had then been engrossed in a conversation with the older Uchiha, halted in his words and eyed the person cautiously. His finger began to dance at every word he said. "Hm... blond hair... blue eyes... familiar purple long sleeved shirt... black jeans aaaaand... bangs over one eye..." his eyes widened, "Deidara-nii-san?"

The other blond nodded vigorously as he ruffled Naruto's hair. "What's up, Youko-chan?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. _Youko. Sun child. _Hah. Whatever. He tried to keep his eyes away from the all-too-bright scene of the two blondes, bursting with too much energy at finally having met each other. It was more or less a year ago when Itachi met this... boyfriend of his who had once been his lone secretary. Long story short, there was too much of Itachi spending time at the office, Uchiha family finds out, problems here, father-son wars there… then bam possible engagement plans. There was still conflict which involved the situation though, with Deidara not having any prestigious company affiliations, but Sasuke couldn't be anymore bothered with where his brother stood in his father's eyes.

No, Sasuke's conflict with this man was at the moment he saw Deidara. His features, as well as his personality, reminded him _too much _of another annoying specimen in his life. Sasuke still has this theory that Itachi's bond with Naruto caused some sort of malfunction in his dating choices. What was worse, really, was when a few months later, Deidara started occasionally staying over in the mansion. Due to that situation, he had some perfect opportunities to see their family's closest friends who tended to call. As _luck_ would have had it, the first time he was with them, the _other _blond haired, blue eyed person was in front of the screen. Video calls multiplied, friendship formed, and gifts were being sent from Japan to US. Hence the purple long sleeved shirt and black jeans Naruto specifically picked out for Deidara, which in turn, Deidara chose to wear today.

Sasuke sighed. He really dreaded this day they were meant to come back. One blond teen was enough to handle.

"…and that dynamite you gave me worked wonders!"

"Did it now, un?"

"Yeah!"

Already, the youngest Uchiha's head was sensing the dangers of a headache. Grunting, he eyed the rest of the company he had. Kushina and Mikoto were frowning deeply as their eyes flew from Naruto to each other while Itachi and Fugaku exchanged few, silent words. Were any of them planning to leave soon? As if some god heard his plea, Naruto caught his attention.

The blonde flinched as something seemed to have vibrated in his pocket. "Ah! Give me a sec, Dei-nii." He brought out his phone, brows arching as his eyes read the message. "Huh. _Now _you tell me." Naruto frowned while he typed in his reply. Looking up, he addressed everyone. "Shouldn't we be going soon? Dinner's on us, ya know!"

Everyone eyed him but it was Mikoto who chuckled and gave a reply. "Naru-kun's right. We should be going."

As Sasuke gave an exasperated sigh, he didn't fail to notice the worried glance Naruto sent his way before pocketing his phone.

* * *

"...and what exactly do we toast to?"

Naruto had pursed his lips, lightly shaking the glass of wine in his hand. "To... to dad," he replied with a gentle smile. "That sounds good, right?"

Kushina sent him a weary smile. "If you say so, man of the house."

"Hell yeah," the blonde responded with a small voice.

Sasuke had watched all of this happen with a glassy look on his face as he robotically toasted with his family. He grit his teeth together upon setting his glass down, remembering Minato once more. It wasn't his fault, goddammit. The choice was there and he took it. There was nothing he could do about it now. _At least, _Sasuke thought, eyeing the two Uzumakis, _that's what they try to make me believe. _They sent him a small glance, he knew, but there was no hate there but mere sadness that came from an entirely different reason he couldn't point out.

"Well," Mikoto said aloud, "let's eat."

The youngest Uchiha gave an exasperated sigh at his mother across him. He hadn't entirely been too excited about how their seating arrangement had gone. No one sat at the head of the table but by its sides were Kushina and Naruto. Sasuke unfortunately sat between the blonde and his brother, with Deidara beside him and across him was Mikoto, who was then followed by Fugaku. Sooner or later, when they finished their meal, he had some guess Naruto would want to sit on the vacant seat beside Deidara and Sasuke was really all for it.

"Hey, Sasu, pass me the kimchi over there."

Sasuke took a moment to ponder those words carefully as he took the dish in front of Itachi. He was pretty sure there was something wrong in that sentence. His face must have said something that connected with his thoughts when Naruto chuckled.

"Don't be too surprised," he said, placing the food on his plate, "Let's leave it with a bunch of trips to Korea and their... ah... cuisine I was forced to get used to." He ended his explanation with narrowed eyes and a twitch of his nose.

The raven didn't bother a reply, only shaking his head and rolling his eyes. Yup that was it. 5 years ago when Naruto told him someday would take long when it came to eating vegetables. Of course it had to be a forced thing.

"Well," Itachi suddenly said with an evil glint in his eye upon overhearing the conversation, "at least we don't have to hold back on you anymore, Naru-kun."

Naruto made a face. "I'm still as hell going to devote myself to ramen, thank you very much! Besides, Dei-nii and I made a pact that he'd be there to save me! Right, nii-san?"

"Of course, un!"

"Told you!"

Sasuke winced at the shrill, defensive voice. Yup, this was why he didn't want to be between these three. He tried to block their voices as his focus retreated to the meal on his plate. A moment later, everyone was back to their own small conversations, each individual exchanging a number of words that seemed to make up for the lost 5 years. Then and again, Sasuke was sucked in with business-related matters that went between Fugaku, Itachi and a couple of times, Naruto. But soon enough, formal discussions fell back to friendly talks about what each one had been up to in the past years. All in all, it was relaxing if not for the obnoxious words thrown back and forth from the people beside him.

Suddenly, a certain ringtone turned everyone's attention to the young Uzumaki. Lips set on a wineglass, he smiled shyly, taking a sip before placing it down. "Sorry sorry. I'll just take this." He stood up and briskly went to the corner of the room, raising the phone to his ear. Sasuke, without anything to occupy his attention, was left to overhear another conversation between Naruto and some unknown person.

"Hey didn't I tell you that you needed rest?" _Pause._ "Yeah. It's my family's best friends... yeah... with Sasuke. They just arrived today." Sasuke scowled a bit, chewing on a potato as he wondered why his name had to be mentioned. "You sure? If I don't see you better tomorrow, I can promise you that painful beating even if- _yes_ even with _that_. I don't care." Naruto groaned. "Why did you call anyways?" _Pause._"W-Will you shut up about that?! I gotta go okay?" -the blonde muttered something indiscernible and something Sasuke didn't catch- "Yeah huh... bye."

Sasuke had already expected the blonde to be right beside him but when he wan't, he couldn't help a small glance at the teen in the corner. He was a bit surprised upon seeing what he had. Naruto had his hand in his hair, another cupping his face. Sasuke heard a slight snicker before he had to turn around in order for Naruto not to have detected him. Upon sitting down, the raven couldn't help noticing something he just had to say out loud.

"You're blushing, dobe. Finally have some girl who was able to stand you?"

Naruto's hands, which were already on his utensils that time, froze momentarily but Sasuke had caught it before the blonde went back to cutting his meat. "N-None of your business."

Sasuke immediately saw his opportunity for a payback. He focused back on his meal although his mouth hadn't. "I didn't know you were the stuttering type. Let alone someone who strained his words." The blonde didn't respond, only placing the viand in his mouth. "You're twitching too much. Agitated? Body too tense, shoulders rigid... trying to fight a blush now? Your-"

"_Will_ you shut up?" Naruto said under his breath. "I _know _you were taught how to read a person's body language but that doesn't mean-"

"Naruto?"

Both boys snapped their attention at Kushina. Naruto hadn't apparently realized the way his voice went up at each word. He took a deep breath before saying, "I'm sorry. Excuse us."

Sasuke had yet to question said 'us' in that statement when Naruto stood up and grabbed him by the wrist, dragging him upstairs. "Hey get the fuck off-"

"You brought this on yourself, _Uchiha_," Naruto seethed as he continued to stride through the nostalgic corridor that led to the his room, "so you're coming with me." The blonde immediately opened the second door on the left, revealing an orange-and-black themed room set with bookshelves and desks to the right, a king-sized bed in the middle and a balcony overlooking the family gardens by the left. All in all, it was still similar to how Sasuke saw it last, apart from the items which made the room look like an office.

Naruto all but threw Sasuke into the room as he slammed the door shut. "What the _hell _is your _problem_, bastard?!" he shouted. "We're all _fucking _enjoying ourselves and you just _had _to-"

"What? Had to what? Piss you off?" Sasuke's voice rose, glaring at the blond who had his arms crossed by the door. "Isn't that what you've left me to do 5 years ago? Be pissed at you for screwing me up? You really want to know what my problem is, _Naruto_? _My _problem is that you're acting like nothing's wrong with that!" Once the raven ended his piece, he saw the way Naruto's eyes grew at every sentence. As a matter of fact, even Sasuke didn't know how or why those words had come out of him. All he knew was that he was breathing quite heavily and he cursed himself for saying those supposed dormant words out loud. He hadn't even been here for a day yet, dammit!

Apparently, Naruto thought the same thing as he went back to his cool, calculating eyes. "Huh. Finally let it out then, didcha? I'd have thought it would come out after a couple weeks... months... hell, years!" Naruto walked away from the door and towards the balcony. "And you know what, Sasuke? I think I'd prefer it to happen that way. We'll just stop this argument before it gets out of hand."

Sasuke ground his teeth together. There it was again. It was _always _that idiot's way. How he wanted it, how he wanted Sasuke to act. And it infuriated him to no end. "Will you just- will you _stop _manipulating me? Just stop making me do things according to what _you _want. I'm done being your play toy. I'm done-"

Something flashed in Naruto's eyes before he turned away. "I _never _manipulated you, Sasuke. I may have lied to you but I didn't force you to do anything you didn't want! When have I ever told you to go along with anything I say? It's all up to you!"

The raven was taken aback by those words. This time, he wasn't sure what angered him more: the fact that Naruto had put it that way or it had spoken truth. It frustrated him to think just _why _he really couldn't help being bent by the blonde. Sure, Naruto had goaded him earlier into that fight, but it was up to him to have not fallen into the trap. Was his resolve that hard to shatter? He hated Naruto, much more than he had hated anything in his life, so why was he so easily provoked with anything that came with him? Shouldn't his skill in overcoming his emotions reign above the idiot even more?

"Look, Sasuke," Naruto suddenly said quietly with a sigh, "I knew things were gonna be messed up between us when... when I said those things years ago. But that doesn't mean I'm going to involve our family into this by giving them a reason to. If you hate me then hate me all you want. I still don't like you, just to clear that out, but I'm willing to give this a shot even as a facade in front of our parents."

Sasuke was stunned silence as he was left to stare at the blonde's back by the lounge chair. That was the second time those words had been used at him. _I still don't like you_. He knew that that was reality now and he couldn't do anything about it. That had been Naruto's view on the entire situation the whole time and Sasuke didn't mind going along with it. So why? Why did it seem like there was something wrong with that statement now? What was he missing here? But more importantly, why did it feel like he had a reopened wound after hearing that?

With nothing else to say, he opted to just leave the room.

But, apparently, the door was already being blocked.

"Naruto?" Sasuke slowly stepped back, eyes wide at the growling animal walking towards him.

The blonde made no move to look at him. "Hm?"

The Uchiha cursed, stepping back once more. Damn idiot still thought their conversation was still alive. "I want to leave this room but this... _thing-_"

It was then that Naruto finally stood up, eyes falling from him then to the creature in front of the raven. A smile broke out on his face. "Aww Kyuu, come here, you furball!" Said creature, now named Kyuu, narrowed its eyes at Sasuke for a second before sprinting towards Naruto, knocking the teen to the floor. "H-Hey watch where you put that tongue, you damn beast! Ouch! Yeah fuck you too!"

Sasuke wasn't sure what exactly he was looking at here. "That's not a dog," he stated slowly.

Naruto sat up, ruffling Kyuu everywhere. He snorted, bursting into a distracted explanation. "No shit, sherlock. It's a fox... I'm the only one allowed to call him Kurama but, to others, he's Kyuubi... found him in the rain when I was 12... wasn't sure how he ended up here buuut he's mine now. No need to be scared about him. He's just really aggressive on people's first visits to my room, the possessive jerk."

The raven knew the blonde was anything but a normal person as compared to others so it's probably not a surprise the abnormality stretched on to his choice of pets. Sasuke still eyed the beast cautiously, remembering once more the bared fangs given to him not a minute ago, but proceeded to give a single step towards it. Not many knew but the young Uchiha had slight interests on a couple of animals. It just so happened this tamed fox caught his curiosity. "Is that thing safe?"

"Of course not," Naruto chirped innocently, his attention still on the fox. When Sasuke didn't say anything, he sighed and elaborated. "It's usually best not to let him out of my room but as long as I'm around, he'll be good company. I told you, teme, he's pretty possessive of me. Goes around and growls at people the second I place my eyes on them. It's kinda creepy how he knows but he's still awesome that way. Isn't that right, furball?"

As if to make a point on his skills, Kyuubi cocked his head at Sasuke and growled. The raven held back a flinch.

"Aww, c'mon, Kurama. It doesn't look it but the bastard likes unique animals! Give him a chance, will ya?"

Sasuke gave a pointed stare at Naruto. He had forgotten he was one of those persons who knew about that. His eyes then returned to the fox who only growled much more. "Doesn't seem to be listening to you."

"Yeah well, he really does hate people. Kyuu's just probably an animal version of y- Ow! What the hell, you jerk! Don't you dare look at me like that. You know you hate people after me!" Naruto proceeded to glare at his pet, the scratch he received all but forgotten.

"The opinion's pretty debatable, dobe. I'm pretty sure I don't hate the people after you," Sasuke muttered exasperatedly. All he really wanted was to see the fox for himself. If not for that, he would've been out of this room minutes ago.

Apparently, Naruto saw through that. He stood up, walking over with the feline on his trail. "If you wanted to get on Kurama's good side, you could've just asked." Bypassing Sasuke, he crouched down to the corner of the room and picked up some black ball thing with red spikes of hair of some sort. The blonde twisted it in his hand and Sasuke didn't fail to notice Kyuubi eyeing it with a passion. "This is Kyuu's play toy, Madara. He just _loves _eating Madara coz he hates the damn son-of-a-bitch."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Madara?" That was an odd choice of name. Even more maybe that the ball thing was actually named in the first place.

"Yeah. See," Naruto started pacing, dribbling the tennis-ball sized object around, Kyuubi starting to growl, "Jiraiya sent this from Canada after he learned 'bout Kurama and when I studied it for a while, I saw this." He turned the object around, allowing Sasuke to see a white insignia of MDR. "I didn't know what it meant and I was too lazy to bother learning about it but I did learn a bit of english so I figured: why not give it a discernible meaning, right? So yeah. Madara."

"You _do _know I have a great-great-great-great grandfather named Madara right?"

As if a light bulb appeared above his head, Naruto snapped his fingers. "So _that's _why I was hesitant to give it that name! I knew there was something wrong with it."

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Well, nothing I can do about it now, can I? Kyuu knows this thing as Madara and he likes the idea of "eating" Madara. We even have this made up story that Madara's some bad guy who did something which angered Kurama so much. Not sure what it was about coz we made it when I was 12."

"We?"

"He may not listen to me when it comes to wanting to maul people but we understand each other pretty well. Right, buddy?" Said buddy was growling at the ball in Naruto's hands. "Oh yeah. This." He tossed the toy back and forth between his two hands, Kyuubi eyeing it with narrowed eyes. "So, teme, you ready to sweat it out?"

Sasuke didn't have a moment to ponder those words when... Madara came flying into his hands. He easily caught it, only to wish he hadn't when the fox started heading towards him. "What the hell am I supposed to do with this, you idiot!" he hissed, throwing it back to the blonde.

After taking the ball, Kyuubi once more turned tail and leapt to the now running blonde. "If you want him to get used to you, then this is literally the only way! Catch!"

Madara plopped into his hands and Sasuke took a second to glare at Naruto. "I hate you."

And then he was running.

* * *

15 minutes later found Sasuke with his sleeves rolled up, the two buttons up his shirt splayed open, slightly limp and soaking hair and breathing heavily. He wasn't sure when nor how exactly it had happened but right now, as he goaded the snarling Kyuubi towards Madara in his hands, there wasn't an aggressive glint in his eyes but more of something playful and acknowledgement at who he was. Sasuke got the hang of the game after a while when he shed his fear and prejudice towards the "beast". The point of it was for the ball to be passed from him to Naruto without the fox obtaining his toy. How it helped to better their bond, Sasuke wasn't sure. But it seemed to do the trick anyways.

As Kyuubi continued nearing towards him, Sasuke thought it was definitely the time he threw it to the blonde. "Naruto!"

The ball was hurled without thinking and it was that mistake Sasuke cursed himself at. Upon eyeing the Uzumaki, he was apparently looking elsewhere -not even breathing hard, that stamina freak- and didn't notice Kyuubi's toy nor Sasuke's call until the ball collided with his head. Two thuds were heard and things crashed to the floor, sure signs that Naruto had also hit the desk behind him. Sasuke was certain Naruto could withstand those accidental hits and yet he couldn't help acting on instinct by rushing towards him.

What Sasuke failed to remember however was Kyuubi's terrible desire for Madara and his own no-limits rule in his ways to obtain his toy. The fox, clearly knowing where Madara was, barreled past Sasuke, toppling him down over Naruto. The raven, unable to brace himself too much for impact, could only support himself through his arms. He was apparently too disoriented to remember what position he was exactly in.

"Ah fuck..."

Sasuke's breath hitched. He looked down and was met by glazed blue eyes. Then, they widened.

"Sasu?"

The raven uncomfortably noted how his chest rose and fell heavily and was in sync with Naruto's own. He felt the blonde's breath ghost upon his face and suddenly, it was as if his arms were ready to give in. Sasuke realized Naruto was still staring expectantly at him. "K-Kyuubi... he uh... Madara was..." Why the hell couldn't he say anything right? And why was Naruto suddenly smiling while his heart did backflips?

"Oh... so, um, unless you're planning to kiss me or anything... do you mind getting up?"

As if he had just been forced to wake, Sasuke went rigid and glared at the teen beneath him. "Aren't you a desperate idiot." He got up, cursing himself for losing it for a minute there. Where the hell had his reactions come from? Even his heart was beating too fast.

"Not desperate, Sasu..." Naruto said, getting up, "more like expected it. I mean your face was so-"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You think too much about me."

"Ah whatever, Mr. Egotistical Maniac. Help me pick this stuff up, will ya?"

The raven sighed, eyeing the cause of all this mess. "Next time, train him to be better in catching." The comment earned him a growl.

"No can do. He'll go after Madara however and whatever the cause."

"You know that still sounds wrong to me, right?"

Naruto simply laughed and Sasuke couldn't help the small tip of his lips. Sometimes, it was difficult to remember that Naruto was someone who destroyed something in him. The raven started picking up items on the floor when a certain picture frame caught his attention. It held two people in the portrait -Naruto and and some red-haired kid who didn't seem too excited about being photographed. The scene reminded him of something he couldn't place his finger on.

"No need to kill the frame, teme. Yours is still alive here," Naruto called out, raising another picture frame he was holding. Sasuke frowned as he looked from that to the one he was clutching. Now, he remembered. The stance of the red-head -glaring at the photographer, stiff from the tan hand around his shoulder- was his owns too when he and Naruto had their own photo.

He couldn't help asking, "Why'd you bother?"

Naruto shrugged. "Can't I? It's funny remembering how much shots were needed til we got you to cooperate."

Sasuke's lips remained a thin line. 17. It took 17 repeats til he was satisfied. He slowly placed the picture frame of the red head on the desk, not quite sure why there was still something bothering him with the photo. Might as well set the thought aside for later. "So is this guy any special person that he got a frame?"

"Jealous much?"

"Why would I be? I pity the poor thing, if that's what you're asking."

Naruto evaded the comment as he walked towards Kyuubi. "Gaara Sabaku. Transfer student after you left. And yeah, he's a close friend of mine. Anything wrong with that?" The blonde sent him a stiff smile then turned away as he carelessly took Madara from the fox's clutches.

_Gaara Sabaku... Sabaku... why was the name so familiar?_ Sasuke had no time to delve too much into his mind as the black toy was thrown at him. "What? We're doing this again?" He eyed Naruto who started taking off his orange jacket.

"No. Just hold on to it before Kurama starts ripping Madara to pieces."

And yet again, Sasuke was forced to imagine his great-great-great-great grandfather in the fox's mouth. He wondered when he'll get used to that. Before he could say anything though, the door beside him opened, revealing Mikoto from the outside. Her hair whipped around until he found Sasuke.

"You two have been holed up here for too long," she said with a knowing smile, "Naru-kun, thank you for having us but it's time we get going. Sasuke?"

The raven nodded, "Yeah, I'll be there." As Mikoto left, Sasuke eyed Madara in his hands.

Just as he was about to throw it over and give his own parting words, Naruto said coyly, "Hey Sasuke?"

The Uchiha turned his attention to the blonde.

"You still owe me that kiss."

Sasuke threw Madara as hard as he could.

* * *

Upon their parents' orders to rest and for unpacking to commence the following day, Sasuke immediately went up to his room, a torrent of thoughts bombarding his mind.

All because of a damn dobe who spoke too much.

He still owed him a kiss his ass.

Sasuke wasn't sure why it bothered him so much, even more everything that had actually occurred in Naruto's room. No, it was technically the whole day that infuriated him. Why did it suddenly seem so hard to hate the blonde all of a sudden? He _spoke _too him too conversationally, countered his jests and even managed to... play with Kyuubi with him. As a matter of fact, didn't Naruto say he didn't like him as well? So how come it didn't even seem that way?

It was as if the simple fact spoken 5 years ago was thrown along the sidelines like it didn't matter.

They were meant to be unable to stand each other and it was probably their family which stood as an obstacle against that situation. It was for that reason, Naruto had even said, that he tried to act normal around him. But there _were_ no family members in that room except for the both of them. What exactly was he trying to prove?

No, the bigger question was how exactly they were to interact with these so many variables between them. Naruto may have stated that through all the 7 years he didn't like him but that didn't mean there was nothing shared between them. Even more was the idea that they didn't want this rivalry of theirs to reach their parents who were family in all but blood. It would ruin something in them, far worse then their merged companies. They may have shared their thoughts on one another but how it was to act out was rather vague now that Sasuke thought about it.

Could the hatred he had in mind really be nothing in the face of everything else?

It was all he had in the first place anyway. Nevermind that weird reaction that came out of him when Kyuubi pushed him over. His attraction to the blonde was surely all but forgotten and it was probably just some sort of... release to the emotion that was suddenly crushed minutes after it grew 5 years ago. He wasn't someone who liked Naruto in that way anymore. Besides, it was Gaara now who seemed to have-

_Sabaku Gaara._

That was another thought which he had forgotten to give importance to. Once again, at the remembrance of that name, something uncomfortable prodded at Sasuke's mind. He _knew _there was something he was missing here. He knew that name... saw it somewhere maybe. It could have been through some files his father made him-

_Files! _Sasuke immediately sat up, eyes wide. He remembered now. Fugaku had made him look through a number of possible business partners, scan through their information and dissect their weaknesses if possible. One that had caught his attention was the red-head's because...

...simply because Naruto's name had been mentioned in the document.

* * *

**A/N: **Is that a cliffhanger? Not really right? That could mean anything! If you've been a reader of Change, it isn't what you think it is, trust me. This time, this "cliffhanger" really does mean something and isn't as simple as bad bodyguards and whatnot. So what did you guys think? I'm not sure if it went as well as I planned it but eh! First day back and Sasuke's already in conflict. Is that weird? Things will probably make much more sense once they get to school. In the meantime, let the mystery of how they really feel stay.

Also, I'm not sure if it should be called secondary or tertiary but yes, ItaDei is a very official pairing in this fic. Their romance will earn them a few chapters too. Oh and the Madara thing... since he is now a ball, of course he is a dead character already. Sort of. Let me have my fun okay! And the Minato-Sasuke issue... anyone curious? No? Okay.

So yea. Update could come as late as two weeks but I'll do my best. Response to this fic isn't really that good so I'll see what chapter 2 does :) I apologize by the way if I wasn't able to proofread this chapter due to too much brainwork so if it sucks sorreeehh! 8k is too much to reread and reread. I think I need a beta soon hmm...


	3. Abatement

**A/N: **I swear the response is draining my confidence and so is this author whose amazing fics I've been reading buuuut who the hell cares. Look where Change went, right? And I actually got the gist of the plotline of this story anyways which is something entirely new and good news to me whoo! Also, if you haven't noticed, my chapter titles have a meaning I explained in chapter 1 :)

**Warning: **Deadly annoying fangirls, bad humor, more mystery to add in the pile and if you'd stare at the scroll bar, you shall see that this is a terribly long chapter

Update could come as early as a month but hopefully earlier. I suggest **Reflections of Us **by **Caranina** for GaaNaru fans and **The Love Drug** by **Entrance Denied **to SasuNaru fans while you guys wait.

So yeah. Enjoy the chap!

* * *

**a·bate·ment**

/əˈbātmənt/ (_n_): 2. suppression or termination: _abatement of a nuisance; noise abatement_

* * *

_"Well... he couldn't come."_

_"Couldn't? Yeah right. It's still that situation then."_

_"Look, you did the right thing and consequences such as these are bound to happen."_

_"Are you kidding? This is a good thing! He seems to be trying to overpower the animosity I have for him, right? Sasu-teme's all grown up now."_

"Mprmpngh!" Naruto scrunched his eyelids as he swatted the paw off his mouth. "Fuck off, Kyuubi," he mumbled, turning on his side. Just as slumber was ready to overtake him once more, Naruto felt a shift in his pillow. A growl slowly descended upon his ear and that's all it took for the blonde to finally sit up, hands raised in the air. "Alright alright! What is it that you want now?" God knows how many times his ear had been mercilessly abused by the fox.

Kurama simply turned his nose to the calendar on his desk and started licking his cheek. Naruto couldn't hold in his anger much longer. "You're so unfair sometimes you know that," he muttered, stroking the feline. Kyuubi gave him his best foxy grin.

Naruto then turned his attention to the calendar, groaning as he remembered what he was meant to do today. April 14. First day of damn freaking school. He had half the mind to return to bed and skip it. Besides, he wasn't in a good mood, having had that dream from 2 years back. And just because it was his last year in high school doesn't make anything change at all. Yup, skip it he shall. Naruto was just about to explain to Kurama what he was about to do -the fox would bother him until he got his ass up- when his phone vibrated. The blonde rolled around and grabbed his device from the desk. Opening the message, he read:

_Don't you dare skip, Uzu. Meet me by the gates during break and bring the Uchiha with you._

_P.S. Morning, Kurama ^_^_

The blonde glared at the text. "Stupid, fucking son-of-a- Oh shut up, Kyuu." Naruto, most of the time, was a man of his word. If he decided he didn't want to attend school, then he wouldn't. But now, just because of one message, the circumstance has changed and he had no choice in the matter. Now, most people knew that when it came to decisions he set his mind on, he was tenacious and difficult to dissuade... which is why it always infuriated him how Gaara was the only exception to that rule of his.

Since two days ago, he had been persistent in demanding that the red-head stay indoors due to his cold. But damn Sabaku had been infected with his stubbornness and wouldn't quit reminding him that he'll be attending the first day no matter what. Just another thing Gaara went against once more. He wanted the red-head in bed; disregarded. He wanted to skip; again disregarded. Now, Naruto had no choice but to attend school and make sure Gaara being there does not happen.

Dammit all.

But aside from that frustrating situation change -and the fact that the red-head had the nerve to greet his fox and not him- it bothered Naruto why Gaara asked him to bring Sasuke along. It wasn't like Gaara to go out of his way to meet someone he didn't know yet. Unless, of course, he _had _met the raven from that one summer trip he had to the US. But did he really have to be present with them? Gaara could just confront Sasuke in his own time!

Naruto couldn't help a frown. It's been a day now since the Uchihas returned from their trip, a day since his first confrontation with Sasuke after 5 long years. The events that had occurred that day was something he himself hadn't expected. Sure, the dislike he claimed had come out and was made fairly obvious -heck, Sasuke was so close to punching him _and _had been able to release his fury- but by the time they got to playing with Kyuubi, things probably got too out of hand.

The simple 15 minute exercise dwindled their fiery exchanges to friendly banters. It wasn't like there was anything wrong with that, especially when his own banters had grown up to flirtatious teases, but the sole act of having those done so brought him back once more to what he and Sasuke had been.

And nothing good could come from that.

Those instances of the past were nothing but thread of lies spurned together to create an illusion of their friendship. Sasuke had indeed entered his life quite roughly but Naruto's innocent intentions to give their relationship more amiability made things worse. Because... even after 3 years into it, the blonde saw that it was just quite impossible. A fact young Sasuke had seemed to want to change. The same idea which Naruto hated about the raven. Why couldn't he just let it go? Wasn't it enough that he tolerated Sasuke?

Naruto's heart fell. This wasn't right. He shouldn't be thinking of these things. What he and Sasuke had was in the past. The present is where he lived in.

And where a certain Sabaku has yet to receive his reply.

The blonde got up and headed for the shower as he typed his message.

_Fuck you, tanuki._

* * *

Naruto knew he was at crossroads. Literally.

"Now what was that saying about paths again?" the blonde contemplated out loud, eyeing the two lanes by his sides. "The road less traveled is the one on the left, right? No that's not it." To make the situation clearer, Naruto had yet to leave the position he had been in for the last 5 minutes. Both directions had their own track towards the school but there were problems and consequences that came along with them.

If he were to travel to the right, the pro behind it was the swifter route and a lesser possibility of tardiness. The con, however, was the 95% chance a certain duckbutt Uchiha would appear. As for the alternate route, the pros and cons were the mere opposites. If he had probably showered and eaten much faster, he could have entertained the idea of the longer path but such was the case that he had forgotten about this possible problem.

Naruto sighed, turning his head behind him. There was always _that _cheat path back home... and then there was a obstinate Sabaku his head reminded him of. Damn. Should he risk tardiness?

_"I dare you not to be late on your first day back."_

_"Oh yeah? It's on, Sakura! Uzumaki Naruto never loses a dare!"_

The blonde winced upon remembering that. Never in his life had he hated the fact that he wasn't the thinking-before-acting type of guy to this extent. If he just probably had, he would have remembered about Sasuke's return and his first day laziness. _Just _great. Gaara blocked his option of bailing while Sakura destroyed his chances of taking another route. Was this some sort of conspiracy or something?

Naruto sighed as he checked his watch. He had 15 minutes left. There was no choice now but to turn right of course. There would still be 5 minutes to spare once he went in this direction. His face fell. "Ah dammit..." With that, Naruto turned and walked off.

A few minutes in his tensed pace, the blonde could already see the cream-colored mansion. It was there that he saw a certain blonde in the distance, getting newspaper from the mail. "Dei-nii!" he called out. Then, immediately cursed. What was he thinking? Confrontation was inevitable now. Oh wait... right... he _wasn't _thinking. Damn.

Deidara, unfortunately but predictably, heard his call and turned in his direction. "Youko-chan, you headed off then, un?"

Naruto hesitantly walked over. As long as Deidara doesn't give him a reason to come in, things were still on safe waters. "Yup! Have to get going, nii-san. Don't wanna risk being late ehe..."

"But doesn't it start in 12 minutes? You're just 7 minutes away, un. Why don't you come in and wait for Sasuke."

And kablamo there it is. _Excuse excuse... what should I say?! _Naruto sent him a childish angered face. "But teme could walk fine on his own!"

Deidara looked disappointed and it took all of Naruto's willpower not to blurt a surrender. "Then why not have a bite for breakfast? Miko- I mean," -he blushed, "kaa-san made a lot, un. Surely you don't get full easily, right?"

Naruto winced. Darn that fact he knew. Nothing really came to mind as to how to answer that so he might as well evade the suggestion. With a coy smile, he said, "Aunt Mikoto asked you to call her kaa-san already? Alright! Dei-nii's gonna be part of the family soon!"

The older blonde's face reddened as he sent a fist down the younger one's head. "Sh-Shut up!"

The Uzumaki simply grinned.

"Now about that breakfast?"

_Dammit! _Naruto _really _didn't like disappointing Deidara but neither did he want to see Sasuke too early. Something told him it just shouldn't happen. Taking a deep breath, he took his pick. "I'm fine, Dei-nii. Mom's omelet was really enough for me."

Deidara frowned. "Is this about Sasuke, un?"

Of course he knew. His face must have said something or the many times they talked was enough to clue Deidara in on his hidden intentions. Naruto sighed. "Yeah... sort of... I think..." Deidara was, after all, one of the six people who knew about what went on between him and the youngest Uchiha.

"Well, you can't avoid him forever, un. The Uchihas couldn't avoid inviting you over. Why not try and see how you could take the situation better?"

Naruto thought about it. He had a fair point. Avoiding Sasuke was easier now but sooner or later, he'll be made to visit often and it would be nerve-wrecking not to know how exactly he was to act. But should he really start now? Even if his mood wasn't too good, it was still the first day back and having met Deidara, he really didn't want a mess so early in the morning.

His decision, however, had already been made for him when Naruto heard a call. "I'm going!"

Both blondes turned towards the mansion doors to see Sasuke coming out. Naruto cursed, frantically searching his mind on how he could escape without the raven noticing him. But it was too late.

"Dobe? What are _you _doing here?"

Naruto took a deep breath and gave a playful smile. "Just gave my greetings to someone without a stick in their ass. And, obviously, that's not you. I was just about to get going, anyways." He nodded at Deidara. "I'll see you around, Dei-nii!"

Deidara pursed his lips, his single eye jumping from him and Sasuke. _No way. Surely he's not going to- _"Sasuke, you should go with Naru-kun, un. Who knows how much has changed in your school right?"

The blonde watched Sasuke's jaw and the hold on his bag tighten. "I can walk fine on my own, _Deidara._"

The oldest among the three simply smiled and shoved Sasuke from the back. "Nonsense! Off you two go now, un!" With that, he turned around and shut the gates behind him.

Naruto tried to hold back his cry of _Traitor! _as he and Sasuke were left to stare at each other. Apparently, he seemed to be locked in a staring contest with the raven. It was just like old times, years back when no one wanted to relent into doing a number of things they didn't wish to do. The blonde would usually win most of the time with his steel stubbornness and he'll be damned if he was gonna- Naruto stopped at his thoughts and sneered. What the hell was he doing? This was child's game! He was _not _gonna be the one looking like one in front of the bastard if he had any say in this. The blonde slowly brought his eyes down, not bothering to comment about the triumphant flash in Sasuke's eyes.

"We should get going, teme. We're gonna be late." He turned and started to walk with his hands behind his head. "And, like it or not, Dei-nii's right. A bunch of renovations and changes happened to the school so..."

Sasuke, who was following shortly behind him, scoffed, "I'd rather be lost than have you as my tour guide."

Naruto took one glance behind him and snorted. "You actually _think _I'm going to volunteer for that job? Get real. I know a bunch of people that might want to take that job out my hands and actually even-"

"Take the girls out of the equation."

His lips twitched upwards. Smartass bastard reading his mind. "Alright. I know a guy that could help you out. I'll let you meet him later. Is that good enough?"

"Hn."

"Ah _there's _the monosyllabic prick I know and love!" He looked behind him to see Sasuke roll his eyes.

"Shut up, Uzumaki."

With that, silence descended on them and Naruto gratefully took it, save the hums which escaped his throat. Little by little, he slowed his pace down to a degree Sasuke wouldn't notice until he was finally walking alongside the raven. His intention wasn't talk to him though -God knows he had enough of that- but simply to glance at the person he had, frankly speaking, cheated on.

The youngest Uchiha's physique hadn't change much in the course of the years, much less how he carried himself. His stride was still purposeful, graceful, if not a bit too strained as of the moment. Confidence bordering arrogance was still causing his chin to tip up and the slender shoulders beneath the blue uniform to raise a wee higher. Naruto snorted inwardly. Bastard still couldn't relax much. His eyes took a last glance at Sasuke's impassive orbs. Unlike before though, there was some sort of steel etched around it, most probably from some frustration he's been holding for a _long _while. Naruto shrugged. _Let him._

Once Konoha High was a dot in his vision, Naruto heard a mutter beside him. "What was that, teme?"

Sasuke gave a deep sigh. "It's about that other night. Last Saturday I mean."

Naruto tensed for a second until he realized he didn't know what was there to be anxious about. So Sasuke fell on him that time... it's not like he's gonna talk about _that_. And yet, he found his pace quickening. "Yeah, what about it?"

"When Kyuubi threw you over to your desk and things fell down, right?"

"Mm-hmm." What was there to worry about? Sasuke wasn't the conversationalist type and if he started this talk between them, it was bound to end in an insult. He could handle that.

"I know who Gaara Sabaku is."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, turning to his companion. "Yeah? Well he _did _tell me he went to States one summer. If it's about business-"

Sasuke smirked. "No, it's not that. Let me rephrase it. I meant to say... I know who Gaara Sabaku is to _you, _Naruto."

"Um what are you talking about?" the blonde gave his sincerest confused stare. The look and question was partially truthful anyway. In a sense, maybe. It didn't seem as if Sasuke was talking about _that _information at all. So what fact did he know that's making him look so smug and condescending right now?

"Don't play dumb. He's your pro-"

"Narutooooo!"

Both heads turned to the voice that called out. Upon spotting pale pink hair, Sasuke grunted, looking as if he wanted to be anywhere but where he stood while Naruto smiled and greeted. "Hiya Sakura-chan! Why do you look like you won the lottery?"

She giggled. "Shikamaru and I bet against Neji that you _will _be coming early. Expect him not to be spouting that fate crap anytime soon. If he does, tell us so he'd pay up 2000 yen to each of us." (**A/N: **That's around $20)

"I'm not sure if I should be relieved or pitying the guy for having two smart people gang up on him and since- Hey wait! Was that why you dared me not to be late? Damn you, Sakura-chan. Buuuut at least our ears are safe from fate."

Sakura chuckled then turned wide eyes at the person behind Naruto. "Hey is this- Holy fuck it's- Sasuke? Are you really- No way! Oh my gods it _is _you!"

Naruto simply watched the raven tense as the girl clung around his neck. _Oh yeah. She had a horrible crush on him then. _Oh well. Let him think Sakura still hasn't gotten over that. "Sakura, get off me."

The blonde held back a snicker upon seeing Sasuke's reaction when the pink-haired girl easily did as told and even had the nerve to roll her eyes. "Sheesh. I would've thought that the dead thing that crawled up your ass years ago would have made it out by now."

"A dead thing moving doesn't make sense."

"So... there _is _a dead thing up your ass?"

Sasuke glared at her as Naruto was sent into a fit of laughter. "G-Good one, Sakura-chan! H-Hah dead thing actually i-in teme's butt!" Sakura smiled victoriously at him until his laughs died down to a smirk. "In all seriousness though, there's nothing we can do about it now, Sakura-chan."

"Unfortunately enough." And the two threw knowing smiles at each other.

Sasuke simply sighed. "I'll leave you both to your comedy act. If you'll excuse me." With that, he walked between them and towards the school.

Naruto shook his head in mock disappointment. "I don't know what I'm going to do with that guy." Then, to Sakura he said, "I'll see you at lunch, okay? Just gonna handle that teme."

"Sure. See you, Naruto."

The blonde immediately jogged off, roaming the halls of the school. _Shouldn't be too hard to look for someone with a heavy rain cloud on their head. Ah see there he is. _He snorted. _Poor teme looks like a lost kid. _Naruto knew he was headed in the direction of the old Principal's Office back in the day of course. As much as he wanted to watch Sasuke find himself staring at a broom closet, he opted to go after the raven._  
_

He clapped both hands on Sasuke's shoulders and turned him to the right. "Wrong way, bucko. Her office is this way now."

Predictably enough, Sasuke shrugged his hands off as he sent him a glare.

Naruto raised his hands up in mock innocence. "Aw c'mon, Sasu, no hard feelings now. Look, Sakura's with Lee already, alright? She's different than how you last knew her. And by that, I mean try not to piss her off unless you want a bruised jaw... or a sore limb... or a black eye... or a throbbing head... or a-"

"I could take a hint."

"Ehe yeah... if you don't want any one of those -or all of it at once maybe- for a week then yeah, just don't."

Sasuke didn't bother to reply and they simply continued to walk the halls without any more conversation. However, it was because of that rather unfortunate situation which caused the gossips all around them to be more audible. Naruto groaned when he heard a certain one which would take a deaf person _not _to hear.

"Hey hey! This year we have 3 to choose from." _Ah fuck I knew it..._

"Yeah! 3 guys for the crown of Hottest Male Student!" _Shutupshutupshutup shut up!_

"So who's it for you? Him? Naruto-kun or-"

"Well here we are!" Naruto said loud enough to cut through those girls' "whispers". He gave them a pointed stare which they all giggled at but took it as a sign to disperse. Naruto could be oblivious but he wasn't blind. Even with the many eyes which were directed at Sasuke through the halls, there were still a number which landed on him courtesy of Puberty Through the Ages. Damn body changes.

Sasuke seemed to have realized his inner dilemma and was smirking at him.

"What are _you _looking at?"

"A nominee for Hottest Male Student apparently."

"Forget I asked," Naruto grumbled as he opened the office door. "Baa-chan, Sasuke's back and he needs his class list and the locker whatnot," he called out at the large-chested woman behind the desk.

Naruto suppressed a smile when a vein popped in the principal's head. "_Will _you stop calling me that, gaki! Just because I'm affiliated to your parents _doesn't_ give you the right to call me that!"

He crossed his arms. "Who said I called you that coz you have a connection to my parents? I call you old hag _because _you're old. Is that so hard to- ack!" Something horrible throbbed at his jaw and Naruto instinctively brought a hand to it and stretch his mouth. He looked down and picked up a slug-shaped paperweight. "Ah fuck... what the hell?! These are fucking heavy, you know! He-Hey don't pick _that _up! That hurts _worse_! No not that either!"

Tsunade seemed satisfied with his outburst and placed the frog and snake-shaped paperweights down. "I will not tolerate disrespect and that sort of language in my office. Are we clear?"

"Got it," Naruto said absently, still massaging his jaw.

The principal gave Sasuke a small glance as she started opening through the folders in her desk. "I apologize for that, Sasuke. Your papers should be here somewhere."

He shifted on his feet, taking one accusatory glimpse at the blonde. "It's alright, Tsunade-sensei. I've seen worse cases and your actions are certainly appropriate."

The woman raised a smirk, still searching through her papers. "Finally someone with a cleaner tongue. You should learn a thing or two from him, gaki."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "You too. At least he doesn't chuck paperweights when he doesn't like something. _But_," he added on Tsunade's glare, "your thing is still better than what the bast- than what he does.""

Tsunade simply took appreciation of him not cursing and didn't bother to keep the conversation going. "Okay here we go. Here's your class list, Sasuke, and the combination for locker 723." The raven silently took it and Naruto was ready to turn around when Tsunade called out, "Oh Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"Is Gaara coming in today?"

Naruto scowled, remembering once more the reason why he was here in the damn premises in the first place. "By break yeah but I'll handle him. He's too sick to be here, the stubborn idiot."

"Well, you _were _his influence."

"Damn hindsight is 20/20." He sighed. "I'll take care of it though. So yeah we'll be going then. I still have to show teme his guide."

Tsunade nodded. "Of course. And _please, _don't get yourself into any trouble today."

A cynical smile appeared on his face. "Why? Does it have something to do with your paperwork?"

"As a matter of fact, yes."

"Then no promises, _baa-chan_!" This time, he skillfully evaded the frog paperweight. Naruto quickly took Sasuke's wrist and ran out of the office. He chuckled upon seeing the snake paperweight glide past him and towards an unfortunate, now-dented locker.

Throughout it all, Sasuke could only glare at the hand clutching his wrist and avoid staring at the ridiculous smile plastered on the blonde's face. It hadn't really been a surprise to him just how much "respect" he showed Tsunade. Sarutobi had been an older principal when they were 10 and he had been thus named old man by the blonde. Trust the idiot to care about authority. But really though... "Did you _have _to infuriate her so much?" Suddenly, the grip on his wrist was lost and for some reason, it felt wrong.

"Gotta have a little fun now and then."

Sasuke snorted. Everyone had their own definition of fun of course but in the years he had known the blonde fun was equivalent to something reckless and unimaginable. Apparently, that had changed and grown into something far worse. "I didn't know you were so into masochism."

"You don't know the half of it," Naruto mumbled.

That startled Sasuke a little. The blonde seemed to think it hadn't been auricular with the way he was turning his head around the area, looking as if he had just ignored Sasuke's comment. But the raven had and he wasn't sure what to make of it. Something told him the words ran deeper than what they seemed.

Before he could think further into it, Naruto quickly decided to change the topic. "Alright. What's your locker number again?"

Sasuke ended up blurting out the first thing that came to mind when he learned of it from Tsunade. "Coincidentally, my birthday." Maybe he shouldn't have mentioned it to Naruto though. It wasn't like he would remember when that-

"Okay um, locker 723 is this way." He started walking to the right but it took Sasuke a second to follow after him. It brought a slight smirk on his face the plausible reasons Naruto still had that information tucked in his head. Then again, ever since they'd started being together, not one birthday of his was spent without Naruto in sight. It irked him at first but Naruto had been relentless that way.

As they began maneuvering through the student-filled corridor, Sasuke ignored the constant stares he was receiving. There were new faces in the place and some which he recalled in a cloudy way. After all, his focus had been solely placed on Naruto when they were children and the rest of the student population had been nothing but a nuisance. Especially, of course, the women. What amused him about this situation, however, was the divided attention among the females, entirely the opposite of how it had been back then. Moreover that the cause of it was the blonde teen walking in front of him. Naruto had been more of a school's pariah back in the days and no one cared to give him even a glance despite of who he was. The only reason his name started buzzing around the school was due to the many confrontations he had with him.

"It's a good thing your locker's by the seven hundreds by the way," Naruto suddenly said, pulling him out of his thoughts, "coz your new buddy should be on locker 878 by now."

"Buddy my ass." He doubted such a thing would happen. The only logic of how he gained a companion was either through some uncontrollable force or the steel will of that person to shove his callous demeanor out of the way. It was probably why Naruto coming into his life back then was pretty inevitable. Family affiliations and some stubborn pride. He'd like to see someone top that.

"I swear dude, I have a thing for knowing who works out for who. You'll be friends in no time," Naruto seemed to chirp confidently.

Sasuke didn't bother a reply. All that suddenly bombarded his mind was the question if that ability of his had been present when they were children. From when, then, did Naruto see the impossibility of their friendship and simply decided to be caught up in the act? He scoffed to himself. What did he care? It only served to anger him that Naruto really went for it.

His eyes adjusted once more to what was in front of him and on time too because by then, Naruto had stopped in his tracks. Sasuke eyed the lockers and saw flashes of 853, 869 and 874. His mysterious tour guide must be here somewhere. Upon seeing locker 877, he turned a little more to the right and spotted light blue-tinted white hair, standing out against the blue shirt-brown pants uniform. From his locker, he could see some sort of sword in there and a number of water bottles. That was... peculiar. Just who was this guy? Sasuke was pretty sure he hadn't seen him around before. He must have transferred when the raven wasn't around.

"Oi! Suigetsu!" Sasuke held back a flinch at the irritating, high-pitched voice which caught the attention of the students around them. Naruto was really still that idiot who had no care about everything else aside from what he decides to focus on. But did he really have to be that loud? Apparently though, the teen, now named Suigetsu, by locker 878 hadn't been one of those who paid heed to the call. What the hell was he doing trying to goad the blonde into shouting some more? He glanced at Naruto to see him simply rolling his eyes and a mischievous smile on his face. He must have taken Suigetsu's refusal to his call as a challenge. Just great. "Hey _fish head_!"

If anyone had a thing for making up nicknames, it was definitely Naruto. Basically those who caught Naruto's interest and one who couldn't go a week without the blonde chatting up with them. The names though were seemingly appropriate most of the time so when Suigetsu finally turned, Sasuke had some idea where it came from. The rather pointed teeth sticking out of his lip, the appearance as well as the color of his spiky hair and the purple eyes which gave his face a slightly unique shark-like look. Of course Naruto wouldn't have mentioned it as shark though. Sasuke _did _say his nicknames were _seemingly _appropriate. The names weren't for praise; they were taunts after all.

Just then, the raven took sudden note of the way a pale hand went behind the locker and with one swift move, something blue was hurling towards Naruto. He had no time to figure out what it was because by then, it was already coating Naruto's being. _Is this guy for real?_

The blonde, however, made no hesitation to speak his thoughts. "A water balloon? Seriously?"

Sasuke simply watched as Naruto looked down on his drenched appearance and started eyeing the guffawing teen dangerously. Something caught the raven's eye by the right and he had a bad feeling as to where this was gonna go. He stepped back a few paces and estimated the amount of radius he needed. As much as Sasuke was in no mood to watch some rather childish events unfold, the school really did change a lot and he'd rather try being patient than look like an idiot ending up at the wrong classrooms. Sasuke sighed, leaning against the wall behind him.

Soon enough, a minute after the water balloon had been thrown, Naruto was walking over to the drinking fountain by Suigetsu's right. Yup, this was what the raven had to endure. A water fight which caused a circle of students to gather around the two. They were, of course, lost in their own world, Suigetsu sputtering, Naruto splattering.

"Oi blondie stop that!"

"Well you asked for this!"

"I did not!"

"Of course you did!"

"Fine! Is that all you got?" Suigetsu then opened his locker and Sasuke had to hold in a groan. This will _really _take a while. There were more water balloons behind the red door.

Naruto, however, could only widen his eyes and curse. But already, the raven could see the gears turning in his head, trying to come up with a plan to possibly counter the incoming attack. A tan hand was already moving towards the drinking fountain. If there was something else he learned about Naruto during their rivalry years, it was that he never went down without a fight, no matter the methods he had to take.

With that, it was chaos for the next 3 minutes.

Sasuke, without a choice in the matter, was simply left to watch all of this. His eyes flew for a while then stopped on the familiar way Naruto's eyebrows were set determinedly, the rapid accretion of vigor behind the blue orbs and the wide-set lips which counteracted his intimidating disposition. It was always those little things about Naruto that riled Sasuke up and made him give in to the pleasure of taunting the blonde more. His gaze fell on Suigetsu and it was with some nostalgia that he saw his younger self overlapping the white-haired teen's frame. The fake irritation was there alongside the astonishment to see how far Naruto was going through with this but nonetheless the enjoyment and enthusiasm which was being weakly pushed back.

It was all these things which Sasuke knew, with an ominous feeling, were bound to return in the course of the next few days. School confrontations were an entirely different thing now compared to ones they restrained at home. Barely a few feet from their gates even, they'd already shared their intolerable views on one another. Their past banters were already coming naturally to him and hostility was easily provoked enough. It was only a matter of time before their second lives in this school would become more apparent to the both of them.

The raven's attention was brought to the sudden flurry of the students, all scampering off to their own classes as they made way to an incoming blonde woman. Wild brown eyes analyzed the situation with fury. "_What _is the meaning of this?"

Naruto and Suigetsu, both heavily soaked and with uncontrollable smiles on their faces, turned dumbstruck towards their principal.

"He started it!"

"Well he made it worse!"

"No you did!"

"You destroyed the goddamn fountain!"

"You had the upper hand!"

"At least my supply isn't unlimited!"

Sasuke could see Tsunade finally losing her patience. He silently praise her for that though, seeing as if it had been him, he would have already lost it at the sight of the wet morons. "Both of you imbecile children _shut up!_" Her glare, predictably, fell on Naruto first. She _had _warned him just minutes ago right? Apparently, Tsunade was in the same track as him. "Didn't I tell you to keep out of trouble? And here you are making a mess barely a minute before classes start!"

A retort was immediately out of Naruto's mouth. "But I was just calling Suigetsu and damn fish fry chucks a water balloon at me!"

"Well, was it _that _important to counter his attack?" She raised a hand when the blonde started to open his mouth. "No, nevermind. I don't want to hear it." Sasuke smirked. Obviously, she already knew she asked the wrong question. It was highly possible Naruto had already been in this kind of situation many times before. Massaging her temples, Tsunade muttered, "It's bad enough you made this much mess but now I still have more work to do about that fountain."

Naruto scrambled his mind for another way to defend himself but just decided to hang his head shamefully. "Yeah, I'm sorry. We went too far. You could swing by our house and drop the paperwork if that helps." That caught Sasuke's attention. Something was definitely different here and it rubbed him off the wrong way. Had Naruto become more submissive these days?

Tsunade gave the blonde a small smile. "I'll let you two go with a warning. No more water fights anytime soon, alright? Now get to your classes before I change my mind."

They all watched the busty woman turn and walk off. Sasuke shook his head in disappointment. Tsunade gave in and didn't seem as if she'd heard that reply before. He now had a good idea what this was about.

Once the principal was out of earshot, Naruto turned to Suigetsu and they started laughing. "Dude, I didn't think you'd do it this early! Nice job though." he grinned, exchanging a fist bump with the teen.

Suigetsu shrugged. "I wasn't. But then you came looking for me so early and I thought why not?"

"Care to explain this bullshit? I have a class to get to."

Naruto turned to the raven who was leaning by the wall with his arms crossed. "Oh _right. _You." He was slightly surprised though when his words didn't sound too annoyed this time. Shrugging, he replied, "It's this... theory Suigetsu and I made up during break which is sweet-talking baa-chan to giving us a pass. And well, as you just saw, it worked! Not like we're gonna use it all the time since she'd catch on pretty quick. But yeah, pretty neat right?"

Sasuke sighed like he expected that and shook his head as he pushed himself off the wall. "You're still up to your antics then. You really haven't changed."

"Like someone like _you _would understand," the blonde replied hotly. For some reason, the look in Sasuke's eyes was aggravating him.

"You mean someone with a brain?"

"I mean someone who couldn't see things for what they are." Naruto smirked when he saw something deadly flash in Sasuke's eyes and his hand clenching at his side. Satisfaction boiled at his insides but something else wasn't allowing him to smile. Before he could say anything though, Suigetsu interrupted.

"Who's he?"

Naruto took a deep breath. He rubbed the back of his head and turned to his better friend. "Ah right. I called you coz your suppose to be his guide around this place. Suigetsu, Sasu-teme. Sasu-teme, Suigestu."

"You actually expect me to believe I could get along with someone with the same attitude as yours?" Sasuke muttered in annoyance, having pushed away their banters like he had. "If you haven't noticed, I've already had enough of _you _and _Deidara_."

Suigetsu turned to Naruto. "He's one of _those, _isn't he?"

By _those _he had meant pricks with too much attitude in them. "Yup. You think you can handle him?"

The white-haired teen then turned to Sasuke. He gave him a once-over before saying,"He'll probably get along with Juugo pretty well. So what's your class, duckbutt?"

Sasuke's eye twitched at the name while Naruto snickered. Like him, Suigetsu was a good judge of character and name-giver. He wasn't too surprised that not only did Suigetsu share his idea of Juugo's possible friendship with Sasuke but as well as the first nickname he himself had ever given the raven. This was why it was fun having Suigetsu around even if it happened once in a blue moon.

Despite the taunts, Sasuke had looked down at his class list. "Physics and Calculus."

Suigetsu started walking to the direction they came from. "That's great, then. Juugo and I have those classes too. We go this way. I'll see you around, blondie."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, you too." Then he remembered something which he wished he hadn't. Forcing back his reluctance, he said, "Oh and Sasuke, I'll come get you during break alright? Someone wants to see you!" The raven didn't reply but the blonde really didn't expect him to. Not bothering to do something about his imbrued appearance, he headed off to his own class.

* * *

Naruto idly rolled his pen around the desk, continuously flicking it away every time it went down. There were already a number of formulas written on the board and as much as he knew they were meant to keep his own notebook occupied, he just couldn't help rerouting his thoughts to Sasuke. For the last two periods, it had been the raven gnawing at his mind, trying to make him think as to how or what the situation would now be for them.

To him, school was the safe zone in an ironic kind of way. A lot of things had changed in the couple of years Sasuke was gone and it were those changes that would erect the barrier between them. There was no certainty on how well that would go though and it was that which he feared. Naruto didn't like things he had no control of and the school's eventual activities was one example. Maybe he had his own fault for not running for council when he was given the chance but that was neither here nor there now.

There was unpredictability when it came to what their teachers prepped up for the students within the school year and it was those said fickle possibilities that could change the situation he and Sasuke had in a blink of an eye. Either things get worse than they already were or something else Naruto wasn't ready to happen. Aside from those, Naruto had made a number of connections to the student population. He shared many instances of the past with every other individual but what his memory could fail to serve him was who would be a possible trigger to set something between him and Sasuke.

Gaara, for sure. Suigetsu and his group. Sakura and the rest.

But that's all he remembered. There were other names, sure, but what they entailed was something else he couldn't always place his finger on. Any individual could suddenly just take interest in Sasuke because of Naruto's connection with him. This was exactly where his thoughts always led him. The single solution to soften the blows of "The Unpredictables" (or as so has Naruto now dubbed them).

To sever his bond with Sasuke and make the message ring loud and clear this time.

He didn't expect the idea to be completely fool proof. It just served as the best option he had when it came to handling the situation. The idea was very specific actually. He couldn't stop "The Unpredictables" he knew that. Sasuke could end up sitting with them by the lunch table or his partner in gym or even a year-long project buddy but severing his _bond _meant shooting down every possibility of a friendly relationship. Besides, they would worry about that kind at home.

Moreover, an unsteady balance of what they had would distract Naruto from the things he needed to focus on in his life right now. God knows how much of a distraction Sasuke could be in his life. The unsteadiness should already stop at their alter ego relationship, really. Stopping the past from repeating itself was the best way to go.

The only thing that worried Naruto now was how he was to explain all this to the raven.

* * *

As soon as the bell finally rang, Naruto quickly got up and headed off to the Calculus class where he remembered Sasuke said he'd be. To both his astonishment and delight, however, a number of fangirls were by the edge of the room, cornering someone Naruto had a good idea as to who. He could clearly tell they _were _fangirls by the weird orange and red cloths strapped around their heads. It was a sight for sore eyes or in his case, a twitching eye. God, what the hell are the female population up to now?

"So... are you gonna save him anytime soon?"

Naruto looked behind him to see Suigetsu drinking a bottle of water. He simply smirked, recalling a past experience. "You think I should? I had no one to save _me _when I was mauled like that."

"Well, there was- Oh no wait... he became a victim too, didn't he?"

He nodded. "Yup."

"It's your fault you have pretty boys as your friends."

Naruto snorted. "Don't flatter yourself_._ You try going in there and trust me, they won't go after you." His reply was a gush of water down his head. "Hey! And just when I was getting dry too."

There was no amusement visible in Suigetsu's features. "I'm not your friend, Blondie."

With that, Suigetsu walked away, leaving a frowning Naruto behind. "So he hasn't gotten over that, has he?" the blonde mumbled. Pushing the memory away, Naruto turned to the horde at the corner of the classroom. "May as well get this over with..." He walked over, lightly cursing Gaara for a while for even giving him the job to take Sasuke with him, and ended up overhearing the raven giving his best shot at making them leave.

"You're all stupid."

"Didn't you hear what we said? We're dedicating ourselves to you now!"

"I didn't ask you to."

"Just you wait! We'll head over to the Sewing Club room later and have our new headbands ready!"

"I have a good guess why some of you are wearing orange. You all really _are _brainless."

"At least Naruto-sama's kinder!"

"If your loyalties apparently lie with him then leave me alone."

"But we're dedicating ourselves to you now!"

"You're all stupid."

Naruto snickered and finally decided to intervene before the tirade did another cycle. _Kinder my ass... _"Oi, you rabid vermin, get away from him!"

The one who had been speaking to Sasuke went up front. "Naruto-sama!" She pushed away her brown locks, battered her eyelids and without warning, clung on his arm. "We missed you!" she whined.

"Yeah," all the other girls in orange bands chorused.

From the corner of his eye, Naruto saw Sasuke smirking in smug satisfaction as he held back a flinch. He already called this girl vermin and she couldn't even care less! What the hell were their brains making them hear? _Could _they even hear the moment they saw him? Apparently not if their squeals were anything to go by. Women were terrifying and he hated the bastard for letting him live with this. If that's how he's gonna play this...

Taking a deep breath, he shook the girl off his arm. "Alright alright. Get off, Hikaru. The guy you're supporting now is over _there_. Why in blazes are you even wearing headbands anyway?"

Their attention redirected once more to Sasuke but Hikaru still managed a reply. "It shows who we're rooting for in the Hottest Male Student competition! You _are _participating aren't you?"

Naruto swallowed. "Eh heh... you see..." Without hesitation, he grabbed Sasuke's wrist and sped off. _Stupid Gaara and his stupid request to bring Sasuke with him. _He couldn't even care less if the raven was meant to have his time eaten up by those girls. Moreover, his ears had had enough of that stupid competition and he'll be damned if they force him into that torture once more in his graduating year.

Sasuke didn't like being dragged, much less have it shown to the student population in his first day. But with the pace Naruto was going at, he couldn't even stop to catch his own breath. The blonde was obviously lost in his own world, muttering a string of curses most probably from the situation they had just been in. It was... something to see the way Naruto had handled it though. The only explanation Sasuke had come up with was that Naruto had already endured enough of those to loose his sanity. The amusing question was: has he really been an idol for that long?

But, back to the situation. Sasuke's feet were sore and for once he cursed the large school. Fighting labored breaths, he called out, "Slow down, dobe. Not everyone's a battery of energy like you are."

The blonde, however, didn't heed his words. "You're not supposed to put your guard down when it comes to _them_, Sasuke. I'll have you know they even found me in the air ducts once!"

The idea brought a wave of nightmarish nostalgia to Sasuke. Apparently, he wasn't the only one who had been placed in that frightening situation."Fine. But will you let go of me? I haven't even agreed to come anywhere with you."

Naruto still didn't but modulated his pace nonetheless. "Exactly why I have to keep a hold of you. Believe it or not, teme, I'd rather not be anywhere near a thousand mile radius of you either."

The reply was truly sincere especially with the way he felt the grip on him tightened. "Then why-"

"Gaara told me to bring you."

That startled Sasuke but not enough to restrain the taunt which registered in his mind. "What, are your choices dictated by him now?"

It didn't seem enough to make Naruto stop in his tracks though. "And where, pray tell, did you get that idea?"

_I told you. I know who he is to you. _But Sasuke couldn't seem to say those words and instead said something else, "The girls seem to easily be doing it."

"Don't you even mention those blasted cannibals."

"Hn. So you _are _known around here now," Sasuke stated with a smirk. The nickname was good though.

Naruto sighed. "It's not that big of a deal."

"Please. It was the only thing that mattered to you then." He could still remember it. The many times he'd come up to the roof after being harassed and Naruto could only grumble, wondering why they were "after such a jerk". "If your younger self were here, he would have died from shock hearing those from you."

"If he _was _here, I'd have punched the living daylights out of him and tell him the horrors of being unable to eat in peace."

"I _did _tell you you were an idiot for wishing it."

"And I _did _say you'll be a jerk forever which makes us even in fortunetelling."

"Hn." Seriously, the comment was too ridiculous to give a reply to. Sasuke simply directed his attention at the uncomfortable grip on his wrist and urged his patience a few more seconds, knowing it was only a matter of time before they exited the school. Soon enough, clear daylight assaulted his vision. "Will you let go of me now?"

Naruto stopped and turned. It was blatant to him that this was annoying Sasuke to a great extent but he was also pretty sure it was nothing compared to his own annoyance. It somehow disturbed him as well why he even bothered to agree to Gaara's demands so much especially since this was _Sasuke _he was talking about. Maybe it was that curiosity in him which wondered why exactly Gaara wanted to see the raven. That _was _the only reason he was so determined to drag Sasuke around with him this break, wasn't it? An opportunity he couldn't miss, that's all. He sighed, looking Sasuke in the eye. "Are you gonna run off if I would?"

"I told you. I have better places to be."

The blonde shot him a pointed stare. "Like...?" There was obviously nowhere he could go, Naruto knew. It was way too early in the school year to go to the library and do research and Suigetsu didn't seem to have taken too much interest in Sasuke just yet to bring him with them for break. Really, who was he kidd-

"Any place is better without you around, moron."

_Ah, but of course. _Sasuke was pissed and as much as Naruto wanted to entertain that prospect though, a black limousine had already pulled up by the gates. He spoke frantically. "Look, whatever okay. Gaara just said he wanted to meet you and-"

The raven snarled. "Who even said I'd want to meet him?"

An idea hit Naruto. "What, are you guys hating on each other or something? Is there some fight you want to settle and that's why that jerk wants to meet you? If that's the case then-"

"It's _not _that."

"Then it's settled. You're coming with me."

With that, they were running towards the school gates, Sasuke cursing whatever gods gave the blonde too much stamina. As soon as they stopped, the raven found himself staring at a familiar black limousine from four years ago when he accompanied and accommodated the Sabakus for a meeting with Fugaku. As similar as that time, three bodyguards had come out first. They were still the same trio from back then; one with gelled blond hair and round glasses, one with a darker complexion and chin-length black hair, and the last who was shorter than the rest with spiky brown hair. The only difference Sasuke saw was their relaxed composure in comparison to the strained one from back then. He had an idea what had caused this lax attitude of theirs.

They circled the vehicle to open the doors just as a black shoe came out. Without any warning, a yellow blur was soon pushing the body in the limo back inside. The bodyguards were simply sighing at the scene and shaking their heads like Sasuke was as Naruto finally jumped in altogether.

"If you aren't so sick anymore, you would have avoided that blow, you know," Sasuke heard Naruto's muffled voice. The raven crossed his arms and took a single glance behind him. If anything, now was his golden opportunity to escape this situation and yet something urged him to stay on his spot and see where this would be heading.

A raspy voice replied from inside, "You simply took me by surprise. It's not an enough reason to justify if I'm well enough."

"It so is, you jerk."

"Stop being so unreasonable, Uzu."

"And stop calling me that! I still hate you for greeting the furball by the way."

"Will you just let me out? Unless of course this position is according to how you-"

"Oh God shut up! I'm going, I'm going. Sasu-teme's outside you know. Oh shit he could've escaped..."

Sasuke simply watched as Naruto came out, blushing and glaring. A smirk graced his lips upon the so many revelations a single conversation brought. Naruto was seriously an idiot if he thought he was keeping this secret from him. Soon enough, the blonde was holding out his hand and a pale one accepted it gently. From the limousine emerged a red-head teen of average stature with milky white skin tone, black-rimmed glimmering green eyes and a kanji of love marked on his forehead. Right. This was the Gaara Sabaku he knew.

Naruto ran a hand through his hair. He turned to his right and was a bit surprised actually that Sasuke was still standing there. And if he looked a bit closely, damn bastard was amused too. He had a feeling the puzzle pieces had already connected in his mind. Oh well. "So, Gaara, Sasuke. Sasuke, Gaara," he introduced, "I have a feeling you two know each other already?" Silence answered him. "Cool, I'm right. But anyways, you." He shot a glare to Gaara, "Anything you want to say to teme?" Really, he was curious what business they had with-

"No reason. I just thought he, along with the fangirls, might make you late enough to stop me from being here." Gaara shrugged nonchalantly.

A vein popped in Naruto's head. "Speaking of which, can I have a word with you, _tanuki?_"

Sasuke had his eyebrow raised at the name while the two stepped off a few feet away from him. It didn't stop him from overhearing the conversation anyway.

"Look," Naruto had murmured, his voice laced with thick concern. Sasuke could still remember the times that voice had been directed at him and Gaara seemed to have the same reaction as he. The red-head's smirk vanished and the atmosphere was finally serious. Naruto placed a hand on Gaara's forehead. "See? You're still warm. It's my fault I made you come with me last week. At least let me worry about you properly. You already get sick too much as it is."

That was an information the raven knew well about Gaara. His usual sickly health.

The red-head lowered Naruto's hand with a smile. "I'm fine. I can take care of myself. And it isn't your fault. I enjoyed coming with you then. It was... fun, if I remember correctly."

A tinge of pink dotted the blonde's face. "Whatever! I just don't want you to tire yourself until you're fully recovered! Here, let me..." And then just like that, Gaara was being carried bridal style and was shoved inside the limo once more. Sasuke sucked in a shocked breath when the blonde started pushing the bodyguards from the back. "C'mon you pricks! Get inside too!" If the raven remembered correctly, those men were creepy and so much ready to bash heads at being touched. He wasn't sure if he should be surprised that they were all just smirking and left the blonde's clutches.

The one with a dark complexion ruffled Naruto's hair. Quite fondly, if Sasuke might have added. "Since when were you the boss of us, huh, brat?"

"Since I gave you guys a personality change, that's when!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. _But of course. _

"Naruto, stop it." Gaara reemerged from the vehicle and headed for the blonde. "I said I'm fine."

"No you're not. I am not going to allow you to enter the premises today if it's the last thing I-"

Sasuke's breath hitched. He knew he was supposed to look away but his eyes wouldn't follow his thoughts as he continued to watch Gaara lock lips with the blonde. This was the obvious he knew from two days ago, that there was a relationship that ran deeper than friendship between the two and all because of uncontrollable reasons. And yet he wasn't sure why the picture of Naruto kissing Gaara sent an uncomfortable feeling at his insides. Why he had the sudden urge to knock someone unconscious. God this was ridiculous.

Naruto was honestly taken by surprise when Gaara's familiar lips was on his own. Even more at the possessive force that came with the kiss. When his stomach started doing backflips and he was overcome with the urge to respond aggressively, it was then that Naruto remembered they had an audience. He placed a hand on Gaara's chest and broke off, flushed and panting. Naruto glared at the red-head. "What is it with you and playing dirty today, huh?"

Gaara scowled. "So you can play dirty and I can't? Just because you do it in be-"

"Shut it! If I allow you to attend today, will you stop acting like this in front of Sasuke?"

"Deal."

Naruto groaned. He knew it. "Fine. Let's go. Teme, are you coming?" He was startled to see a distracted yet fiery set of orbs and a tight-set jaw. Without a word, he walked off just as the bell rang. _What's up with him. _He sighed. "C'mon, Gaara. I'll see you guys around. Hiroshi, Isamu, Makoto."

Begrudgingly, they both headed back to the premises.

* * *

15 minutes later found Naruto in gym, sharing the class with both Sasuke and Gaara. Gai had made them run a few laps, a feat the three of them found easy enough as they lead the class around the track. The whole time Sasuke avoided him and Gaara while Naruto didn't bother to ask why and just focused on making sure the red-head wasn't working himself too hard.

The activity also gave way to Naruto's thoughts to the idea of Sasuke already knowing about his relationship with Gaara. Sasuke had once known him more than anybody else in his life and it wouldn't be a surprise to him if he had already read the signs since Saturday actually. It was only a matter of time before the raven figured it out faster than the rest of his friends. No one knew about his relationship with Gaara of course. He hid it well and weren't perceptive enough as Sasuke.

The question was if he trusted Sasuke to withhold the information from the rest of the world.

He made his choice and already decided that the raven was not going to change anything he involved himself with in school. But this was really complicating things for him.

Gai finally gave everyone a time out but Naruto still needed a way to blow off some steam. He eyed the only person that could help him with it.

"Oi teme. Race 'ya. Three laps."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow as he chugged down a bottle of water. He really hadn't been in any mood to have any interaction with the blonde since that time in the gates. It unnerved him so much how his frustration gradually rose every time his mind ran back to the scene he was forced to see. But somehow, a little competition tempted him to think otherwise. He screwed the bottle cap and stood up. "You think I'll be giving you a chance to win, Uzumaki?"

"Well, that won't be any fun now, would it? Please don't hold back for my sake, Uchiha."

"Like I'd ever do anything for you," Sasuke said, aligning himself with the blonde on the track. "Make this interesting enough."

Naruto sent him a smug smile. "Famous last words."

"Shut up and start this shit."

"Alright. 3... 2... 1..."

And they were off. Sasuke immediately felt adrenaline pump into his blood as he eyed the yellow blur by his side. He forced his feet to quicken its pace, throwing more energy into his movements. As they made a right turn, Sasuke wasn't too surprised when he and Naruto were still neck and neck. Naruto rushed forward but Sasuke evened it up eventually. They kept at this until they reached the first lap.

He saw students start to encircle the track, watching their little competition. As much as Sasuke didn't like being watched, he didn't bother to do anything about the situation. His breaths were already coming out in quick pants but it wasn't enough to deter him just yet. He wasn't backing down so easily. As they successfully finished another lap and hollers were being heard already, a dull ache fell at Sasuke's chest. Despite this, something warm blossomed from it at the sight of Naruto looking at him, smiling so widely.

Just then, flashes of their past races filled his head. The many situations where they always ended up passing out to forced exhaustion. It was an exhilarating feeling doing this once more with the blonde. For a few seconds, Sasuke forgot everything else that was going on between him and Naruto. He pushed back every issue, every hate and anxiety that was present in his system and just focused on the smile that was making its way on his face.

Soon enough, the white line was made present in Sasuke's vision. His legs protested but he still managed to pump his legs faster. Naruto's pace was very much alike his and he couldn't shake him off no matter how much he tried. In the end, when they reached the finish line, he wasn't sure who won their race. Loud cheers erupted around them as he dropped his hands on his knees and tried to even his breathing. His eyes turned to Naruto who was lying on the floor, laughing stupidly.

And yet, Sasuke found himself smiling.

He headed over to the blonde and poked him with his foot. "Don't tell me you're tired already."

"Ah fuck you too!"

Gai soon learned about their race and this time made it clear to the both of them to take a break, else they give them an exercise that they'd very much regret. A comfortable silence befell upon them on the bench.

"You were smiling."

Sasuke sent him a glance. "And?"

"I dunno. I guess... it's been a long time since I saw it."

Their conversation cut there once more. When Sasuke thought about it, it _had _been a while since he did. It wasn't really so easy to make him do it anymore. The action wasn't worth it.

"Things are gonna change you know," Naruto suddenly said in a low voice, head bowed low, bangs obscuring his eyes. Sasuke chose to keep silent as tried to figure out where this was going. "No. Things _have _changed. I have Gaara now. I've had him for a long time. He's the one that matters to me the most. And I... I meant it when I said you were never that person to me.

"Here in school, the only thing I'll be sharing with you are problems and a bunch of bullshit between us and that's it. I've shown you today that there's a slight possibility I could be around you but that doesn't mean I'll still be willing to take that chance this next few months. We're done in this place, Sasuke, no matter how much you'll be involved with me. If you want to expose my relationship with Gaara to everybody to get on my nerves, that's your choice. I just want to say that I'm sorry it has to be this way."

Sasuke's nails dug under the benches. "You're-"

But Naruto wasn't done. Chuckling, he continued, "Don't worry though. We still have our parents who couldn't survive a week without seeing each other. And if we're _lucky_, we'll even score a number of projects as partners. I'm just saying, we always have-"

"Gai-sensei! Help!"

The tensed atmosphere between them broke. Naruto was immediately gone by Sasuke's side as he was already running towards the track. The raven made no move to follow, instead trying to suppress his inner turmoil.

Naruto ran as fast as he could. He roughly shoved everyone out of the way as he headed towards the red-head hyperventilating on the floor. His conversation with Sasuke was all but present in his mind anymore, his focus simply on the red-head. Naruto knelt down by his lover's side and picked him up bridal style. "I'm taking him to the clinic!" he informed no one in particular. As soon as they were out of everybody's sight, he started to whisper calming words in Gaara's ear and held him tight to make him listen to the fluttering of his heart.

Naruto did his best to take his mind off the prickling sensation in his eyes.

* * *

Sasuke had a few more minutes before History class ended. Apparently, it was a class he too shared with a certain blonde but when his attendance had been called, he didn't seem to be around. Even during lunch actually. But really, Sasuke couldn't care less. He just simply continued to murder a number of his pencils. When the bell finally rang, he quickly got up and was almost to the door when Baki called his attention. He grudgingly turned and walked back.

"Yeah?"

Handing him a sheet of paper, he explained, "I know you just came back and everything so I need you to do a couple of research on these so you could catch up when we breach the topic. I'll be continuing on from where we left last year next week. Submit it to me before then."

The raven nodded, suppressing a groan.

"Oh and Sasuke? Since everyone else left, can you please be the one to give Naruto this homework sheet? Frankly, I don't appreciate him cutting my class."

Sasuke didn't immediately take it from him. "Why me? Can't you give it to him tomorrow?"

Baki frowned and gave him a disappointed look. "Weren't you listening a while ago? I have business to attend tomorrow and by the time I return the day after, I'll be collecting them already. Pay attention next time. You can go."

The raven swiftly took it from his sensei's hand and left the classroom. The homework sheet crinkled in his hand as he glared at it distastefully. He wanted nothing more but to pass the putrid duty to someone else or drop it off later in the blonde's house. Then again, looking at his schedule, he didn't really feel like attending English and right now he was being given a pass to cut it. Having some idea where he could find Naruto, he turned the piece of paper where Suigetsu had drawn the new locations of everything in the building and spotted the word 'Clinic' a few corridors away from where he was. With a resigned sigh, Sasuke turned and headed for that direction. He got there a few minutes later and was met with empty beds and raven-haired woman by the desk.

"Yes? Is there anything I can do for you, Uchiha-san?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Has Sabaku Gaara and... Uzumaki Naruto been here?"

She flipped open a paper from her clipboard then nodded absentmindedly. "Hours ago, yes. But Gaara was in a bad condition and Naruto volunteered to bring him home. We could have called his parents but Naruto was too worried about him and-"

"Thank you," Sasuke firmly cut in as he left the room.

Suppressing the anger boiling in his veins, the raven headed for the restroom with clenched hands. Without hesitation, he drove his fist through the mirror, shattering the object in the process while his knuckles bled.

_"I have Gaara now. I've had him for a long time. He's the one that matters to me the most."_

Out of everything Naruto had said to him, those three sentences was what sent his mind in a whirlwind. He didn't even understand why! He knew that already, didn't he? And yet his chest clenched in so much discomfort worse than when he learned about the truth on Gaara.

_"And I... I meant it when I said you were never that person to me." _

There was a slight hesitance when Naruto said it but the conviction had ever been present in the next few words. Just why... just why did it bother him so much every time Naruto claims his insignificance to his life? Why was there still a craving of hope budding in him when...

_"We're done in this place, Sasuke, no matter how much you'll be involved with me. "_

...when he already had the resolve to throw his past with the blonde in a deep abyss of his mind where it would never resurface. Sasuke's hand clenched on the counter top. _Naruto is nothing to me. Nothing. _The blonde had simply made things clear enough for the both of them and made him realize they were both on the same page. That school was different. That it was a two-faced reality that danced between a war zone and safe waters.

_"If you want to expose my relationship with Gaara to everybody to get on my nerves, that's your choice."_

Of course he had no intention of doing whatsoever. Not only did it ruin his image as a silent opportunist but he also wasn't really the type to spread rumors. He'll add in his own two cents if anyone asks but that's where it ended. Sasuke would pounce on Naruto in his own way, make him regret ever messing with his life so much.

"Well, this is a... pleasant sight." Sasuke turned to see a raven-hair teen enter the bathroom with a surprisingly bleeding nose. "Growling at nothing, fierce eyes, bloody fists... who seems to be your imaginary enemy, Uchiha?"

Obsidian orbs narrowed. "How do you know who I am?"

The teen crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "You have the Sharingan necklace. No one would miss that trademark." When Sasuke didn't say anything, he slowly walked towards the sinks and started cleaning his nose. "I'm still curious, you know? Who managed to make you so bloodthirsty?"

Sasuke's previous spikes of anger gradually receded as he focused on this unknown student in front of him. "Why is your nose bleeding?"

The other raven glanced at him from the mirror with a smirk. "Good question. I ran into a frustrated blonde hours ago and became a vex for his anger. I managed to hit it with something a while ago and now it's back to bleeding. He has some right hook you know. Your turn."

"The very same bloody idiot."

That seemed to catch the teen's attention. "Oh? This is an interesting coincidence, isn't it, Uchiha-san?" He sighed at the unresponsive raven. "It was really nice meeting you even if the circumstance isn't so great at the moment. I hope to catch up with you someday but I have English to get back to."

Sasuke liked him. Though his trust on this student wasn't fully there yet, something about him made it clear that he had far more decency than anyone else he had encountered today. "I belong in that class," he stated dryly as he began to cleanse his knuckles.

"Is that so? Then perhaps I could accompany you back since you're new here, Uchiha-san."

"Unnecessary but appreciated. And you can call me Sasuke, um...?"

"Neji. Hyuuga Neji."

* * *

**A/N: **Dun dun dun! So what did you guys think? I don't really know why it's this long either and yet it's just still chapter thahree what the hell. In Change even, I never really got to the part where Naruto and Gaara are said to be in a relationship. But I guess it was already obvious even if I hadn't. Sighs. How did I do though? Sorry again about the humor that died the moment it grew.

Possible questions: What is it with Naruto and masochism? Why does Suigetsu not consider Naruto his friend? Why do I have an OC named Hikaru? Will she play a role in this fic? Does the HMS competition have a big role and an ever bigger background story? (Why are fangirls so annoying?) Will Gaara and Naruto's relationship beginning have a chapter to itself? Why did I make Gaara someone who gets sick a lot? Is there a meaning to it? Will I make it cause more juicy scenes? Why does Sasuke's view on them seem misunderstood? Why did he say _He's your pro-_? Who is Neji in this fic? Is he the bad or the good guy? Does OrangeStar hate Neji? Is she giving too much questions to muddle and possibly confuse your brain?

P.S. I _absolutely_ _don't_ hate Neji though, to the point that until now, I still believe (**spoiler alert**) that he is alive and Hinata shall take his place as the dead one. (I don't hate Hinata nor NaruHina but I didn't want Neji dead either. Please don't kill me. If I'm asked to choose, it's really just Neji I'd prefer.)

Leave a response! (Rev, fave, follow)


	4. Nostalgia

**A/N:** 2 years and 8 chapters it took Change to have 13 reviews while Clandestine only needed 11 days and 3 chapters! Aaaah little joys :) Thank you thank you guys for those but know that every response, be it follows and faves are very much appreciated.

About the asshole!Naruto issue: I'd like to thank **Sasunarufan64 **for defending Naru's actions, first of all. (read her review if you must) But, admittedly, yes, I think I went too far in making him annoyingly mean. I was just scared his emotions won't get to you guys. Apparently, it did and everyone just wants him dead or suffering. Yay for me! I got through you guys! Things will be more explained, alright?

Yeah, so there's one big reveal. Well, not really big coz you'll see that here in this chapter. (The certain scene was actually already written before your reviews came in. I'm glad I wrote it that way.) If you've read Change, then yes, this chapter is more of a GaaNaru flashback.

Onwards to another apparently appreciated long chapter!

* * *

**nos·tal·gia**

/näˈstaljə,nə-/ _(n)_: a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past

* * *

"Just one. Please." Gaara stared intently at the eyes of his lover, sending him a frown that he knew lowered the hardest of walls. Cerulean orbs began to falter and the red-head had to hold back a triumphant grin. And then, just like that, an ache fell from his chest towards his throat and he was coughing. Dammit.

"No means no. Now eat the fucking soup already."

"Na-"

His reply was a spoon down his throat. Gaara quickly flushed the hot liquid down and sent the blonde a pout. "C'mon, Uzu... you know how much I love this concerned side of you."

Naruto sighed and set the bowl on the nightstand. The bed slumped at the weight beside him and then a pair of lips were at his own. Gaara's arms started snaking towards his lover's back when the blonde pulled apart. "There. That's all you're getting, alright? Now, will you please finish your food?"

Gaara was supposed to come out with a retort but the worry etched in Naruto's eyes made him stop. This wasn't the first time he got sick and neither was this the worst illness he felt. Both times, however, the blonde had been the one persistently nursing him back to health. The first few situations had Gaara threatening the blonde to get out of his room but the effort was useless. He had learned soon enough that Naruto would stop at absolutely nothing to make sure he was alright.

Due to the fact that his occasional sickness led both of them at his home, Gaara learned quite enough about how Naruto worked. There was a lot of force but pleas nonetheless. It was easy to maneuver through the former but extremely difficult to crush down the latter. Gaara loved just how much concern Naruto was placing on him but it guilted him to know it was he who took the light from Naruto's eyes for a while.

"Okay, fine." Then, he teased, "Only if you feed me."

Naruto stared at him for a second before grudgingly taking the bowl from the table. Gaara smirked at the smile that nonetheless touched the blue eyes.

As soon as the whole situation of him feeding Gaara -with the occasional teases- was done and he set the bowl aside, Naruto stood up and eyed the red-head. "You should rest. I'll be in my room if you need me." His gaze turned to the wall clock which read 10:43 a.m. It was the third school day he missed but it wasn't like he cared about that.

"Your room?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Yeah. You know... the one you gave me permission to own 3 years ago while I stayed here and-"

"I know your room." Gaara sighed as he settled in his blankets and tapped the space beside him. "Can't you stay here?"

Staying beside Gaara meant a lot of things. Naruto gave him enough comfort that the red-head would fall asleep long enough and without a fight. On the other hand, if Gaara were to recover the following day, their morning wake up would be more eventful than he'd want it to happen. As much as Naruto was fine with the idea of bailing, he wasn't always too comfortable on doing it because he had given in to Gaara. He'd rather skip because of laziness.

As if reading his mind, the red-head interrupted his musings. "Uzu, I won't do anything. I just don't feel comfortable sleeping-"

"-without me. So you said the last time." He gave a pointed stare at his lover who in turn flinched and looked away. Gaara seemed so sincere though that Naruto couldn't move from his spot. Even if the red-head had other intentions, staying beside him _did_ give his lover the benefit of sleep. Naruto sighed and pulled the blankets open. "Alright, move over then."

Gaara beamed at him -more like twinkling eyes and a small upward twitch on his lips- and did as was told. It brought a smile on his own mouth at the little things which made his lover happy. Upon settling down, Gaara rested his head on top of his chest and Naruto started stroking his hair. Much to his pleasure, the heat from Gaara's forehead wasn't as bad as three days ago.

"If we're lucky, we'll be back to school tomorrow," Naruto murmured. He suddenly felt the red-head tense at the mention of school. "What's wrong?"

Gaara buried his head further into his chest and gave a muffled reply, "Too early."

_Goddammit why is he this adorable._ "We already spent months resting, Gaara. What more could you want?"

"Time with you?"

Naruto fought a blush. "It's what got you here in the first place, asshole!"

Gaara lifted his head and took his face into his warm hands. Staring at him straight in the eye, he said, "I told you I didn't care about the fucking rain. As long as you enjoyed the concert and that stopover we had by the alley then nothing else matters." He ended his piece with a light kiss.

Pink dusted his cheeks but, nevertheless, Naruto smiled. It was interesting to see Gaara be the reassurance to his anxieties when most of the time the roles were switched. And more importantly because the male had to mention that little accidental session in the rain. "Alright alright. Now get to sleep, okay?"

Gaara nodded. "Will you be sleeping soon?"

The blonde thought about it for a second, registering the invisible amount of exhaustion in his limbs and the unapproached thoughts in his muddled brain. "Maybe later. After I grab some food or something. I have to make sure you sleep like the dead first," he teased.

"It's Uchiha Sasuke, isn't it?"

He wasn't sure when he lost eye contact with Gaara but at the mention of Uchiha, Naruto flinched and placed his gaze on the red-head. What he got were intent emerald eyes, ready to see through any lie he could possibly say. Naruto sighed. _Make that six and a half people who know about me and Sasuke._ "I'm sorry. Is it that obvious?" He gave the most apologetic smile he could muster, uncomfortable at having bothered Gaara about his problem with the raven.

Gaara pursed his lips and started thumbing the whiskers on his cheeks. By now, they were lying down on either sides, staring intently into one another. A knowing silence wrapped them, trying to deduce each other without saying anything, careful to understand the right words to say. The red-head then muttered, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Naruto closed his eyes for a few seconds. Gaara knew the partial facts when it came to his relationship with Sasuke. Facts which he was confident wouldn't shake the trust nor bond he shared with the red-head. If he were to tell him the whole thing, it might start the crack to destruction. Naruto soon opened his eyes and slowly letting out what he could. "I... changed something between me and Sasuke. I'm not sure if I went too far and made him really hate me though. The words I said sounded like what an ass would say. I don't know... I'm not sure if what I did was right."

The ache he had tried to suppress three days ago reappeared in his chest once more. Only this time, it felt worse, acknowledging what exactly he had really done. He made the message loud and clear to Sasuke, alright, but its destruction was larger than he had foreseen. He felt... _wrong_ now that he replayed that scene over and over again in his head. This was exactly what he meant when he told Sasuke years ago that he tended to take things too far or exaggerated them more than they should. Naruto wasn't sure if he wanted Sasuke to remember that fact and connect it to what he'd done.

Petal-soft lips grazing his forehead cut Naruto's thoughts short. "Then do what's right. Stop letting things get to your head, Uzu. It's as simple as that."

Naruto let the words sink in for a while before he smiled. It was so easy for Gaara to understand him and abate his worries that he was glad it was him who his life currently depended on. He just wished it would stay that way. "You're right." And then, he shared a deep kiss that Gaara seemed to appreciate before he let go. "I love you."

His reaction was exactly what he expected. Gaara flushed red but was glaring all the same. A fist playfully hit his forehead. "I'm willing to help you with your troubles on the Uchiha but don't forget that you're mine."

Naruto's smile turned smaller but gentle still. From under the sheets, he took Gaara into an embrace and whispered in his ear, "Of course." Even if the reassurance didn't completely bode well with Naruto, he still tried to place conviction in his words. If Gaara noticed, he didn't say anything. All he received was a tighter grip around his chest.

The blonde started combing the red locks below his chin, humming a soothing tune. Gaara's warmth immediately registered into his brain but he didn't care. Naruto rarely found himself catching someone's cold and the many times he nursed Gaara were adequate examples to justify the fact. His eyes soon started to become heavy as Gaara's even breathing started to relax him. Before he knew it, he was fast asleep, muttering a set of words he thought had only been present in his head.

"I'm sorry, Gaara..."

The red-head frowned at the words he suddenly heard. Slumber were just milliseconds away before he heard it and now he was wide awake. Gaara gazed up to see his lover unconscious, though not as peaceful as he expected him to look. Blond brows were knit together, a small frown touching Naruto's lips. Immediately, Gaara connected his features to one Sasuke Uchiha.

The moment Naruto confirmed his suspicions about his distracted thoughts, the red-head did the best he could to stimulate his self-control. It wasn't that he hated Sasuke, per say, but if there was anyone else he knew evoked so much emotions from the sapphire orbs, it was that certain Uchiha.

Gaara knew the blonde as someone who was always certain of everything and wouldn't falter even at the most terrifying and terrible of situations. Despite that, when it came to Sasuke, Naruto was a different person, just like his lover also became different when it came to him. Gaara had the slightest jealously at the idea but it was always overcome by the deep sense of concern for the blonde. Naruto was never himself when it came to Sasuke and unfortunately, most of the time, in a negative way. The red-head knew he had no right to interfere but he loved Naruto too much that all he wanted to do was rip the thorn in the blonde's heart that was Sasuke.

The raven held a place in Naruto that he knew he could never fully push away though. As infuriating as it was, sometimes, Gaara knew it was just best to let his lover fix the situation for himself rather than the red-head making it more complicated than it already was. All he could do now was lend Naruto his shoulder, his ear, his heart and everything else. If things were to get messy, _then_ he would have to take matters into his own hands.

For now, all Gaara could do was listen to the steady beat of his lover's heart, simply remembering his own significance to Naruto's life.

Its beginning appeared as a dream.

_Everything else was the same. Trees, trees, and more trees. That seemed to be the only thing that appeared from his window view. There were discrepancies in some of them but in the end, they still became too dull for him to place his attention on. In the end, there was always consistency of features. He simply grew tired and uninterested if there was still a change._

_It was exactly like Sabaku Gaara's life. The events which happen in them, that is. Maybe he could fit well in Konoha after all. The red-head scowled. No, not too well probably. His father had his reasons for sending him here in the city which located a school that gave way to a better application for prestigious medicinal colleges. Every time he would recall that, it left a bitter taste in his mouth._

_He eyed the three butlers-slash-bodyguards that sat at the other end of the limo. Just like them, him attending Konoha High was a good intention which overlapped uncontrollable reasons. His father gave him this future as a way of complying to the idea given by a bunch of possible business partners in a party once. It was a way to show off, a way to reveal his capability to send his son to a well-known school. After all, wasn't it odd to stop his homeschooling all of a sudden?_

_Like the never-changing scenery, he had grown tired of his father's good guy charade. It served to surprise him at first whenever his father gave him something that left him at awe but now, there was just indifferent expectancy. There were _always _reasons that were not meant for his sake nor his welfare._

_The vehicle soon lurched to a stop. The 13-year old turned to the window on his other side and saw large black gates and a school building. Students who wore the blue shirt, brown pants attire like him were milling about, most greeting each other animatedly due to having not seen each other for the past months. Some eyed his vehicle, most probably because the limo was new. Gaara didn't bother about those, only the sightless butlers on the grounds._

_His heart raced as he stared at his own. "Father asked you to accompany me." It wasn't a question._

_The one he knew was named Isamu sent him a single, stiff nod. "Yes, Gaara-dono. It is imperative that you are not-"_

_"I only asked you one question." The man was immediately silenced and Gaara didn't make it a point to care about his blatant disrespect. They were still one of those things which reminded him of his father's faked love. Besides, they should be used to it by now. As much as the fault didn't lie on them, it wasn't in his nature to be friendly in the first place._

_Gaara slowly came out of the car, ignoring the eyes and whispers sent at him. He was used to them by now so there was no reason to be uncomfortable with it. Hiroshi led the way while Makoto and Isamu hung behind him. The school was big and had a number of corridors that he wasn't sure how long it would take him to remember. Their mansion was large, sure, but it wasn't always swarmed with people and didn't hold constant designs. Classrooms, lockers, bathrooms, that was basically it. How was he supposed to differentiate all these when everywhere he turned there were more than one of each? He took a single glance at Hiroshi who seemed to know where he was going. If they were to be with him the rest of his life here then it was probably useless to remember anyway._

_Soon enough, they entered a room much larger than the rest he had been seeing. A paper was stuck by the transparent square on the wooden door which read 'Prinicipal's Room'. He didn't bother to voice his annoyance at the bodyguards who continued to followed him inside. Goddamn, it wasn't like he couldn't speak._

_As they approached the desk, any possible words from the four of them was made impossible at the blond boy having a shout off with the woman behind the desk._

_"-not my responsibility! Pick someone else, baa-chan! You know I suck at it. I'm not sure why you even think I could- Oh look a new guy."_

_Gaara merely stared incredulously at the boy. The rapid change from bold disrespect to nonchalant curiosity left him wondering if he was for real. His attitude clashed wrongly with him though. The boy didn't seem like someone he wanted to get to know really. There was just too much bright energy radiating from him. Already, he wished he was somewhere farther away from the blonde._

_"-ra! Oi, Gaara!"_

_He sent the blonde a glare. "Why do you know my name?"_

_It took him by surprise when the response he got was an eyeroll. Most people would have flinched and shut up by now. The blonde stuck a thumb towards the possible principal. "She told me while you were away in LaLa Land. I'm Naruto by the way," he beamed upon extending a tan hand._

_Gaara simply eyed it and just as he anticipated, Makoto stood in front of him, using his own arm as a barrier. "Kid, please step away from Gaara-dono."_

_The boy, now named Naruto, slowly let his hand fall and once more, the red-head was in for a surprise. Naruto crossed his arms and raised a challenging brow. "Step away? I just placed a fucking hand in front of him, for crying out loud!"_

_Before Makoto could reply, something hit the blonde in the jaw and something that sounded heavy then fell to the floor. His attention turned to the principal. "Holy shit! Was that the paperweight ero-sennin gave you?"_

_Tsunade, as stated from the plaque on her desk, gave a wide smile. "As a matter of fact, yes. I have two more if you want to... _see_ them."_

_"What the fuck did I do?"_

_"Language, brat! How long do I have to remind you?"_

_"Until you actually say you're fifty ei- ack!"_

_Another paperweight collided towards the blonde, this time to his torso, and Naruto started moaning in pain as he clutched the abused body part._

_Gaara actually felt exhausted at the vigor of this boy. How could he be so loud and so simple-minded? One second, he was pushing past an intimidating man thrice his age, the next, he was back to cursing _and_ insulting the most important authority he currently had. Was he really so stupid as to act that reckless? Or did he simply have a grain-sized care for age difference? Eitherway, Gaara's desire to stay away from the boy was gradually growing._

_"Enough." Tsunade cut into his thoughts with a raised hand. "Naruto, my decision is final. You knew Sasuke best. Gaara, here are the papers you'll be needing."_

_The red-head took note of the change in Naruto at the mention of some person named Sasuke. He didn't bother to take the documents Isamu readily accepted._

_"You _so_ owe me a pardon for my first detention this year, baa-chan," Naruto grumbled._

_He sounded as if he was actually expecting to get in trouble sometime soon. But then, somehow, Gaara thought the image fitted him quite well. Tsunade gave neither confirmation nor disagreement to Naruto's request but just sighed exasperatedly. "You two should get going now. The assembly will be starting in a while." Her eyes jumped from him to Naruto then to the bodyguards but didn't say anything else. Gaara had a feeling she was meant to make Naruto help him around but the three men had looked just enough. He wasn't sure if he should be annoyed that there went a chance of him getting to know someone or glad that he was spared from knowing the blonde in the first place._

_Without saying anything else, he exited the room along with Naruto. His bodyguards started leading him to the right, where he assumed the assembly area was, but, to his confusion, the blonde turned to the left. Oh well._

_He was already two steps forward when he heard his name being called. Gaara turned to see blond hair and blue eyes._

_"I'll see you around! I'll catch up with you soon, alright?"_

_With that, the boy was running and vanished to a different corridor on the right. Gaara wasn't sure why he remained standing there and staring at the spot Naruto had just previously been in. Why would the boy expect to see him? No, of course there was a high possibility for them to cross paths. The real question was: why did Naruto sound so eager to talk to him? Gaara had his experiences of meeting people in his age group and not one of them lasted the very moment they saw his bodyguards actually. No one dared to come closer and wish to have him as a friend. Gaara was used to being alone and unwanted that his immediate expectation was their desired distance from him. So why was Naruto doing the exact opposite?_

_And why... did his chest flutter at the bright blue eyes directed at him?_

_"Gaara-dono?"_

_The red-head looked up at Isamu. His face must have portrayed something because he actually had to revert to his stoic look. Without a word, he started walking off._

* * *

_Gaara decided that he absolutely hated Naruto Uzumaki and he was by far the most abnormal human being -if that was what he even was- the red-head had come across._

_The knowledge of his full name came with the first spike of hate. After receiving another bout of surprise from a certain blond student walking towards the podium, telling the school of the need to replace their previous "ice cold prick" Uchiha Sasuke, fangirls throwing hate, the principal giving Naruto a possible bruise on his arm... the blonde had the nerve to actually raise his name to the public as a candidate. It was as if it wasn't enough that he was already being avoided like plague upon his arrival to the auditorium, but everyone's eyes really really focused on him then. Sure, he mentioned some pineapple-haired guy named Nara Shikamaru and it was obvious they wouldn't pick a student they had yet to know but it sent his head in flames that Naruto made a move such as that. Who the fuck did he think he is, bringing him into messes he didn't want?_

_Then there was the abnormal part._

_He apparently shared the same Homeroom class with Naruto and the moment Gaara entered the room, the blonde muttered something like, 'I knew it' when he sat at the corner of the room by the window. If that wasn't odd enough, blue eyes were staring at him so intently only until their teacher came. Gaara heard once more the mumble he let out which was: 'It's a challenge then'. Naruto was smiling very cynically while he started writing on his notebook when there was absolutely nothing to copy on the board._

_To say that Uzumaki Naruto caught his attention was an understatement. His mysterious words irritated Gaara so much that he couldn't do anything else but decode its meaning until break. Unfortunately, one more confusing event made its way in that period as well._

_From below the oak tree he had been sitting from, Gaara had overheard Naruto persuading a boy with red triangles on his face to do something for him. Triangles gave in soon enough and suddenly went over to them but didn't give Gaara a single glance. Instead, he had actually _asked_ his bodyguards if they could take him with them. It left Gaara stunned, wondering why Naruto was willing to go so far. Obviously enough, Makoto declined the request and Triangles made his way back to Naruto and Shikamaru._

_He had watched Naruto mouth the words 'I knew it' once more. If he did, why go to the trouble then? For the rest of the classes ahead, Gaara actually felt his head throb madly at the confusion and infinite questions stored in his brain. It was until lunch came, him back below the oak tree, that he realized that from the moment he entered the premises, all his thoughts centered on Naruto._

_It was unnerving thinking about it. Why was it that a single boy, who had yet to make so much contact with him and already annoyed and confused him to no end, was already affecting him so much to this extent?_

_Suddenly, before his thoughts could go further, he felt a hand around his mouth. Gaara's heart raced, his eyes widened and the chopsticks fell to the ground but he didn't bother to struggle. Besides, he was doing his father a rather big favor if he was kidnapped._

_It was then that it registered to him that they were in school. How could an intruder mask himself in front of all these 12-year olds and even have the guts to do a kidnapping with so much witnesses? In fact, the hand clamped on his mouth was smaller than he'd expected. If anything, it was probably the size of his own. Moreover, shouldn't they have knocked him out by now? And why... why weren't any students reacting?_

_Gaara felt himself being dragged- no, gently pulled at the other side of the tree. He watched as Triangles and Shikamaru appeared from beside him and sped towards his incoming, frantic bodyguards. Colored strings of orange, green and red shot themselves from a can to the faces of Hiroshi and Makoto. Isamu was behind the two and had quickly ducked._

_At this, his kidnapper finally took his hand away and wrapped it around his wrist instead. "Hurry!" And then they were running. Gaara didn't really understand why he was doing this. All he could focus on was the flying blond locks in front of him, the glimmering blue eyes glancing every few seconds and the widest smile that it was paired with. As much as Gaara wanted to look away from the bright sight, his eyes wouldn't obey. The rapid beating of his heart only served to increase, knowing that those captivating features were focused on him and only him._

_"In here!"_

_The red-head followed Naruto into what seemed to be an abandoned classroom. Isamu was still a few feet away but in seconds, he was likely to catch up._

_"C'mon Gaara! Up here!"_

_He looked up to see Naruto above some shelves. Not even thinking twice, Gaara started climbing until he reached the blonde. Naruto unzipped a blue travel bag which the red-head guessed had already been placed on top of the shelves before this mayhem even started. Gaara watched as the blonde took out a small net that looked like a basketball hoop except that the bottom was somehow patched up. He was surprised when it was handed to him along with the bag._

_"We don't have much time. Fill that up while I do the door, okay?"_

_Not bothering to wait for his reply, Naruto went past him and started doing something to the door which involved some tape, a hammer, a bunch of nails and some rope he was pulling our from a pouch. Gaara realized though that Naruto gave him a job and took his eyes off the blonde and went to it. Still wondering why he was doing this, the red-head started filling up the net with some liquid-filled balloons._

_"Hey Gaara are you done?"_

_He simply nodded and handed the object. Naruto started connecting and placing this and that here and there. Gaara didn't understand what exactly he was doing but it was likely that Isamu was in for some liquefied assault._

_"Alright, let's get down."_

_Suddenly, Naruto just jumped from the shelf and towards the floor. When Gaara looked down, having gone up didn't seem such a good idea anymore. Naruto hissing while clutching his knees didn't help at all. Fear crept up on him. How was he supposed to get down now? Isamu will be here soon and... and- Wait. Why was he fearing his bodyguard's arrival now? If anything, he would certainly be the one who would come saving him. All that he was doing now was ridiculous! Why was he-_

_"Gaara! If it scares you so much, just close your eyes and I'll catch you okay?"_

_Emerald eyes widened. The exhilarating feeling from minutes ago was back. He was so sure he had already calmed down so why was it so hard to breathe all of a sudden? Gaara looked down at the smiling blonde below him. It was so ludicrous of him to suddenly trust the boy now! And yet... the conviction and sincerity in the cerulean orbs begged to differ. It screamed so much of wanting Gaara to depend on him. _

_He didn't know when he had done it, but suddenly, his eyes were already closed and he felt gravity's pull on him. If he were to end up dying now, it wasn't that big of a deal really._

_Except, the dying never came. A pair of arms was immediately around his neck and his legs. Gaara slowly and hesitantly opened his eyes to find himself staring into bright blue orbs, his heart was hammering in his chest once more. Naruto then set him down and beamed at him. The hand clutching his wrist returned. "C'mon!"_

_Gaara's legs started running all over again. Was this the warm feeling called adrenaline? He wasn't sure but as he started to pump more energy into his run and turned to look behind him to see Isamu covered in multi-colored paint, the warm feeling slithered towards his lips. They tilted upwards and the action immediately felt so foreign but at the same time so good and right._

_Naruto's laugh made it stretch wider. "You're smiling, Gaara!"_

_Smile? He had only seen it, read it and heard about it but never really had done it for himself. After all, what was there to smile about, really? But right now, it seemed to be the only accurate thing left to do._

_Gaara continued to follow Naruto up some stairs, zigzagging from corridor to corridor. After a few minutes, he found himself panting and when he looked ahead of him, Naruto wasn't even looking a bit tired just yet. What was he, a stamina freak? Nevertheless, the red-head didn't slow down even for a second. He was liking this running thing. When was the last time he actually felt this free? Exhilarated? Happy? Gaara simply eyed the boy in front of him._

_Suddenly, as they made a right turn, they found themselves almost barreling towards his colorful bodyguards._

_"Shit!" Naruto cursed in front of him. "Damn Shikamaru and Kiba couldn't hold them off! C'mon Gaara! This way!"_

_The blonde had then turned and made a dash towards the left side this time. Gaara wordlessly followed. It seems that Triangles' name was Kiba._

_After a few turns and having lost the three men a while back, a dead end stood in front of them. A staircase was blocked by a sign which stated that students weren't allowed to enter. For a second, Gaara panicked. He looked behind him and even if the bodyguards weren't there, they would be able to reach them soon. he knew. And then he realized..._

_"C'mon! Up here!"_

_...his companion was never really concerned for any kind of rule. Naruto was already running up and past the sign while Gaara stood there for a while. It wasn't that he feared being in trouble on his first day -or being in trouble period- but stopping made him realize how much his legs ached. Staring at the long set of staircases made him feel as if his limbs were going to melt if he made any further movement. His breaths were coming out in quick pants too. He couldn't even-_

_Suddenly, a pair of arms were around his neck and behind his legs and he found himself being carried by the blonde once more. The boy smiled. "If you were tired, you could've said earlier, ya know."_

_Gaara didn't say anything but merely found himself staring at the captivating blue orbs. Even as they ascended the stairs, the red-head's initial movement was to bring himself closer to the blonde's chest, finding Naruto's rapid heartbeat quite soothing. The arms wrapped around him felt so sturdy and strong that he didn't even fear for a second that he could fall._

_Soon enough, they stopped in front of a door. It was chained._

_"Gaara, I'll let you down first alright?"_

_The red-head wanted to protest but ended up not saying anything and just nodded. He watched Naruto start tapping on random tiles. What was he doing? There were chains on the door. Why wasn't he worrying about that? Soon enough, the blonde tapped a tile which sounded different from the rest. Gaara was stunned to see Naruto take the tile off and reaching for something in the hollow space beneath. When his hand reappeared once more, a wrench was accompanying it. The blonde quickly went to work. He destroyed the chains then dropped the wrench back and slid the tile into place in one rapid movement. Was this guy a machine or something?_

_Naruto then threw the door open and dragged him in with him. Gaara was met with a blinding sun and the howling wind. He looked behind him to see the blonde slumped against the door, laughing with his head back._

_"Holy fuck now that was something! Right, Gaara?"_

"...ra. Hey Gaara, wake up. C'mon, baby, time to take your meds."

The red-head slowly lifted his eyelids open with a groan. His effort was rewarded with a peck on his lips.

"Sorry I had to ruin your fantasy."

Gaara continued to blink away the haziness in his vision. Once his clearer sight returned, he found Naruto at the edge of his bed, handing him a pill and a glass of water. With a sigh, he sat up and took both then returned the glass. His mind returned to what Naruto previously said. "Fantasy?"

The blonde lifted the blanket and went in beside him. "You were smiling. I had to hold myself back, you jerk."

Gaara smirked and wrapped his arms around his lover's neck. "You don't have to hold back now." He slowly brought his lips on Naruto and got himself a satisfying response. When his hands fell and started lifting the blonde's shirt, Naruto quickly slapped it and broke off.

"Uh uh. Not until you get better." He frowned but Naruto simply ruffled his hair. "C'mon. Get back to sleep."

"I'm too wide awake now to do that."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Maybe you could tell me what you were dreaming about until you get tired." He presented his best attentive self by bringing his knees close and staring at him intensively.

"I'll never get tired talking about you." Gaara slipped deeper into the sheets until he was lying down on his side, watching Naruto's face turn different shades of red.

"Dammit Gaara."

Before the red-head could say anything else, they were interrupted by two knocks on the door. The knob turned and Makoto revealed himself from a small opening.

"Gaara-dono, your father is on the phone. He wishes to speak to you."

Just as he was about to sit up, Naruto was already a yellow blur, running towards the door. "I'll take it for him."

Makoto eyed the boy with slight amusement. "Naruto-kun, it's for Gaa-"

"Can't you see he needs rest?" And then he was tugging at Makoto's ear. "C'mon Mato-san." He stopped to turn for Gaara. "And you. You can tell me that dream later. For now-"

"-rest. Yes, mother."

Naruto stuck his tongue out then disappeared behind the door soon enough.

Gaara couldn't help the smirk that touched his lips. His lover didn't really change. He was still that same simple-minded idiot who jumped from one concerning matter to another. But... The red-head scowled. If he wasn't mistaken, Naruto's actions had seemed too unnatural, as if he was forcing his happiness to appear. And... there were certainly residues on his face which showed that he had previously been crying. It was why he tried to be so coy in the first place. At least it had worked.

He had a feeling it had something to do with Sasuke again.

With a sigh, the red-head tried to shake those worries away, even just for now, and get as comfortable as he can in bed (Naruto wasn't beside him). The dream reappeared to him once more.

_Gaara continued to stare at the boy. As he started to regain his breathing, realization suddenly struck him. What was he doing? When and why did he actually give in to the situation he was subjected to? He would certainly be in trouble for this, wouldn't he? His father would be informed of this situation: of running away from his bodyguards, of running away with a total stranger even if it _was_ a student nonetheless. It would set off a number of troublesome situations he did _not_ want to get himself into._

_"Hey Gaara, what's wrong? Are you-"_

_"Why?"_

_Naruto stood up and made his way to him. Stopping in front of the red-head, he crossed his arms and gave him a certain look Gaara couldn't explain. "Why what?"_

Why are you so fucking annoying, trying to drag me into your actions? Why do you seem to care about me?_ But he didn't say those. Instead, he mumbled, "Why did you do that?"_

_The blonde didn't seem fazed by the question and answered fluidly. "Well, did you like having them around?"_

_Did he? Of course he didn't! But- "That doesn't mean you had the right to do that!" He paired his seething words with a deadly glare._

_Naruto, to his annoyance, shrugged it off with an eyeroll. "Then if you're so upset, we'll go back. It's not like I'm forcing you or anything but..." he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Whatever. I just thought you're like someone I know and I had the damn bastard with me for years but-"_

_"Someone like _me... _with _you..._?" Gaara knit his non-existential eyebrows in confusion. Was that idea even possible? He actually doubted Naruto was getting the idea here. Gaara didn't _want _company. Much less, from someone who was nothing but a bright ball of energy._

_"Yup!"_

_And then he realized- "...It's that Sasuke Uchiha, isn't it?" _

_Gaara saw, like the many other times the mysterious name ended up being said around the blonde, the way Naruto's shoulders fell a little and how his eyes could only be best described as wistful. Then, as if he had just imagined it, the bright energy was back. _

_"Hey, if you're so curious on knowing..." Naruto suddenly said, a smile slowly forming on his lips, "...does this mean we're not going back to them?"_

_There were two things the red-head immediately took note of. One, was that the blonde had just purposefully avoided the question and; two, was that he was, in fact, having conversation with the boy. He glowered. __Damn idiot was right. What exactly_ was_ he doing here, having conversation with him, of all people. No, his interest was not piqued and he would not allow himself to be engrossed in this boy's life and reasons for doing what he had done to him. Without a word, Gaara, started walking towards the door, purposefully hitting the blonde's shoulder. He saw him flinch from the corner of his eye and the red-head fought the urge to stop and return. Why was his steps starting to feel heavy?_

_Suddenly, just as he was about to reach for the door knob, a hand dragged his arm down, causing him to stumble a little and turned to the only person who could have done it. Before his glare could have increased and his mouth to release a set of vile words, he stopped at the sight of cerulean orbs glistening with so much emotions._

_"Don't go."_

_Heavy silence fell between them. Gaara could only stare at the boy, unsure how he was supposed to react. And then, just like that, Naruto let go, his eyes widening as if he had just realized what he'd said. "Ah what am I saying... sorry... I didn't mean that. You could leave... free country and everything right?"_

_Gaara hesitated for a second before taking a single step forward. His eyes concentrated on the door in front of him, trying to forget those sapphires so lost, so vulnerable, so... alone. They were the very same eyes which stared back at him at every curious opportunity he had at looking into his reflection. How could the bright idiotic energy such as that boy carry the same amount of loneliness in his person? If anything, it was worse than his._

_"You don't have to, you know. Let yourself believe there's nothing else you could do."_

_The red-head tilted his head behind him a little. "What would you know about reversing reality?"_

_"Enough to know that yours could be," Naruro answered immediately_

_"Well, it fucking couldn't!" Gaara seethed, throwing the door in front of him open. His nails clawed at its sides, fighting the images in his head. What would he know? What did he know about having murdered his own blood the moment he was born? What would he know about a father who will forever see him as someone who took the most important person in his life? What would he know about the hate that will only be sent to him by the only person who he thought mattered in his life? What would he know about never being able to be loved?_

_Nothing._

_Naruto was obviously the last person he would expect to know about any of those._

_But that wasn't why he wanted to dig his nails into the door until his fingernails bled. It was because, for a while, he had thought it was Naruto who would save him from those. Why did he still hope? He'd already learned long before that it was useless._

_He was suddenly shook out of his thoughts when he felt a pair of hands gently taking his own trembling one from the door. His eyes met innocent blues. "You don't have to hurt yourself for something you can't help. I won't force anything anymore now. I'm sorry."_

_The blonde's tone dripped with so much sincerity, Gaara couldn't find it in him to continue his demonic rage. Suddenly, words were just out of his mouth before he could stop them._

_"My father hated me the moment I was born, the moment I killed my mother. I'll only be the replacement he didn't want and will continue to be the proof of his power in the hospital industry by handing me every luxurious thing possible."_

_"Hey Gaa-"_

_"It wasn't love nor because he cared. It was never those. Just fronts to make people realize his strength in this world. He would never place so much attention on me."_

_"Look I-"_

_"If anything, they were always meant to make me suffer... pay for what I did to my mother. He always plays this games with me to make me believe he loves me until I realize what they're really meant to do to me."_

_"Dude wait-"_

_"I was homeschooled by a well-known professor but it was just a way to make me understand my responsibilities and learn faster than the rest. I was sent to this school for better college purposes. He gave me adoptive siblings but they were just the people in charge of my bodyguards. Those three, on the other hand, they can't be my companions. They always cut me out from the rest with some protection which I doubt father really want for me. And, worst of all, I had an uncle who- Why are you biting my finger?"_

_Naruto was, in fact, holding his hand like a drumstick and he was just close to ripping the meat that was his pointer. His eyes seemed to bug out from their sockets. "Weren't you listening?! I was trying to stop you from talking about your life story! I didn't ask for that!"_

_Gaara's chest felt so light, his head unnaturally clear that he couldn't help saying. "You... weren't?"_

_The blonde suddenly reminded him of a guppy with the way his mouth opened and closed in stunned confusion. "Did you... did you just... make a joke?" And then he was on the floor, running a hand through his chuckling face. "Dude, I don't get you so much you scare the crap out of me."_

_The red-head didn't bother to further his actions by either looking confused or smirking satisfactorily but simply focused on the cerulean orbs once more. He couldn't understand the speed at which emotions in them came and go and yet... it was the most fascinating scene he had ever come across in his life. No matter how much the blonde acted, the truest emotions never failed to be reflected in those pools._

_It still didn't make sense to him why he had the sudden urge to reveal everything in front of this boy. Maybe it was because he had bottled it up too much throughout the years and this was the first person his age who bothered to come so close to him, maybe he had just been too provoked, maybe it just came with the fact he had been talking too much today compared to how he did in a month... or maybe because it were those eyes which assured him that there will never be prejudice but calm acceptance._

_The idea that this boy was already making his way into his system on his first day here was ridiculous. Not completely, yes, but that he was already curious about what his efforts would bring though not enough to give his whole self to him._

_And it was all because of those eyes._

_'You're just something else, Uzumaki.'_

_"H-Hey!" Naruto quickly stood up and stood in front of him. "That's actually the first time you said my name." -apparently, he had actually voiced his thoughts- "Even if it's not technically how I want to be called... So yeah. Proper introductions then. Naruto Uzumaki. Sup!"_

_"...Sabaku Gaa-"_

_"Okay, this has gone on long enough."_

_Both boys turned to the three suited men coming out from the sides of the door._

_"What the fuck?! How long have you guys been listening to our intimate moment, huh?"_

_Gaara's lips quirked upwards. Expect the blonde to speak first, loud and using exaggerated words. Even the bodyguards were snickering. Makoto though ruffled Naruto's hair._

_"Not that long, brat. Just enough to..." his eyes turned to him, so heavy and melancholic._

_To the red-head's surprise, Hiroshi walked towards him and squatted down to reach his eye level. "Gaara-dono, do you really believe everything you've just said?"_

_He frowned, wondering just how much these three really overheard and why they bothered to in the first place. He already knew how much his life was robbed of privacy but this was too much. And really, the question was pretty foolish that Gaara decided to keep silent and look away._

_Hiroshi sighed and stood up. "Alright. Sabaku-sama will be informed of this and I believe it's time we-"_

_"Hold up! Oi you fucking bastards! Are you actually- Wait. Sabaku? Huh. Why does that sound familiar... Gaara, names?"_

_The bodyguards stared incredulously at him while the red-head expected nothing less. "Kid, you're in no position to-"_

_Naruto simply made a shooing motion with his hand. "The fuck I am, Glasses. Gaara?"_

_He rather amusedly pointed to blond-haired... Glasses. "Hiroshi" -then to the dark-skinned man- "Isamu" -and lastly to the shortest, brown haired- "Makoto."_

_"In other words, The Stuck Up, The Emotionless Protective, The Bubbly Childish, right?"_

_It actually caught Gaara by surprise that those were, in fact, the best way his bodyguards could be described as. Hiroshi was the strictest of them all and followed his father's orders without any complaints, going as far as looking like he was the leader of the three-man team. Isamu didn't speak up a lot but had enough steel and sense in him to ward the dangers from his life. Makoto was like an older brother he didn't want. He was always joyous and tried to interact with him by being as lively as possible. Like that would ever work. _

_Emotionless Protective spoke up. "Kid, we just think you shouldn't be-"_

_Naruto rolled his eyes. "-near him? News flash: if you keep this up, he could have something like Antisocial Personality Disorder or __something from the Pervasive Developmental Disorder like Childhood Disintegrative Disorder or Asperger Syndrome_ -yes, I know this stuff I'm saying, don't look at me like that- and you guys will be so dead!"

_Everyone was in stunned silence. The last thing they expected from his mouth were a bunch of medical terms. Even Gaara had one invisible brow raised. Naruto didn't appreciate the stares and silence though. "And by the way, the name's Uzumaki Naruto, _not_ kid."_

_Bubbly Childish suddenly clapped Hiroshi's back with a laugh. "I told you he's her son!"_

_Isamu squat down in front of the blonde. "Looks exactly like his dad but has his mom's personality... interesting."_

_As if a light bulb suddenly appeared in Naruto's head, he snapped his fingers. "That's right. Sabaku Medical Hospitals. Dad went with mom and-"_

_"-they met you guys!"_

_"We met them."_

_Makoto and Naruto said at the exact same time._

_The blonde then rolled his eyes. "They're right you know. If you just stop going 'Gaara-dono this, Gaara-dono that' then you guys would do fucking fine."_

_"It's not that we can't, kid," Makoto answered, "But it's-"_

_"-father's orders," Gaara interjected. "To cut me out from everything." Everyone stared at him but the red-head didn't bother to say anything else. That was the true reason after all. There wasn't any-_

_"You're right," Hiroshi muttered, "It was his orders. But they were orders of a _parent_."_

_"He's too scared to lose you, Gaara-dono," Isamu added as he stood up._

_"Do you even know how long we were told off and had our jobs almost threatened after Yashamaru-"_

_"Well it's a fucking act!" Gaara cut Makoto off, hands clenching at the mention of that name. No, he still wasn't over it. Until now, the pain of that day was still fresh in both heart and mind. He wasn't sure why the information even slipped up a while ago to Naruto._

_"How do you know that?" His gaze fell on Naruto who then flinched. "Nevermind I said anything. My mouth has a mind of its own, see? Told you no life stories til you're ready, right?" When Gaara didn't say anything, his words ran faster. "No, seriously. Oh God Gaara don't look at me like that. I've already been told before that I suck at making actual conversation so I know alright? Seriously! Forget I asked!"_

_And then Makoto was laughing. "Holy hell you're just the weirdest kid we've ever met."_

_"I told you! Name's Naruto!" With his tongue sticking out, the blonde managed to hit the bodyguard's foot pretty hard._

_It bothered Gaara how Naruto was able to dismiss his frustrations without him actually even caring about it anymore. He simply went with the way the blonde was able to shift the mood into a lighter one and forget his life troubles. Was that even normal?_

_Just then, the rooftop door opened with a slam. "Naruto, are you o...kay...?"_

_Tsundade stood there, her brown eyes, frantic and wide. If Gaara were in her position, it would probably be amusing to see the blonde she'd been searching for everywhere be stepping on a grown man's foot with his tongue out. With the way she took her hand from the door with a exasperated sigh, it was probable she was berating herself for not expecting this predictable outcome anyways. "Naru-"_

_Her words were cut short when two brown-haired boys rushed from either side of her and towards the blonde._

_Kiba spoke frantically, hands lifting the boy's every limb, "Dude what happened? Are you hurt? Injuries__? Scratches? Bruises?"_

_Shikamaru, despite his dull tone, had concern lacing the way he tipped Naruto's chin and turning it from side to side, "Probably something poisonous. Gassed? Tranquilized? Sedated?"_

_Naruto shook off both boys' hands and grumbled, "Guys, I'm fine. And, Shika, stop using too much words."_

_The red-head wasn't sure how to feel at the sight of the boys busying over Naruto. It probably felt nice to have people hovering about him like that, worrying too much about his well-being without being told to. But those were what friends did right? And he really didn't have that, did he? He couldn't have that. But if he were to let Naruto in... sometime in the future, would he be among those brunettes who busied themselves around the blonde? The image didn't come in his mind but he settled with wondering about the idea._

_Tsunade spoke to the bodyguards. "I'm truly sorry about what these three did. I hope the knowledge that they would receive immediate detention is enough compensation for their actions."_

_"Baa-chan!" the blonde said, eyes as wide as saucer plates, outraged from the very moment she mentioned detention._

_"Naruto, he's an heir-"_

_"So? These bastards won't give him a _life_. You think I'll just stand by, watching my friend have Asperger Syndrome?"_

_Gaara felt the air knocked out of him, a warm feeling spreading through his chest. Why did he just call him his friend? And why did it feel so... satisfying? He forced his voice to stay untainted with emotions. "I'm not your friend. And stop mentioning that disorder like you actually know it."_

_Naruto eyed him with a smile. "But I do."_

_The red-head had his share of knowing how to read people. Reading Naruto wasn't an exception. It mildly unsettled him that the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. No, it irked him how he tried to hide it in the first place. "Then explain."_

_With an eye roll, the blonde complied, "Asperger Syndrome or Asperger Disorder is an ASD or Autism Spectrum Disorder named after Hans Asperger, who, in 1944, studied and described children in his practice who lacked nonverbal communication skills, demonstrated limited empathy with their peers, and were physically clumsy. It is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction," -he eyed Makoto- "and nonverbal communication" -then Isamu- "alongside restricted and repetitive pattern of behavior and interests." He stopped with a glare to Hiroshi. "Basically, a peanut will have more personality and life than the subject."_

_Everyone was silenced until Shikamaru groaned. "Expect Naruto to ruin his own smartass words. Troublesome."_

_Gaara remained silent, staring at the thin line that was Naruto's mouth. His words flowed so smoothly, too easily as if the information on that disorder was committed to his heart like a prayer. From what he had said a while ago, it was the blonde's mother who was in the medical business. Knowing about that syndrome could just be something he picked up from her. But something still gnawed at his mind, the implications of why Naruto seemed so... connected deeply with the words. Had he seen it before? From a close friend maybe? Or had he himself been a near patient of it? Whatever it was, Gaara's curiosity grew. The blonde was oftentimes easy to read and understand but seemed to have the ability to hide things for what they were. It came so rarely Gaara didn't know when to expect it._

_Naruto was possibly a walking conundrum he may never solve._

_"Anyways," Hiroshi cut into his musings, "Tsunade-san, as promising as it is to give the children what the deserve, we'll just let bygones be bygones. The kid's interesting but-"_

_Really, he wasn't sure anymore if he should have been surprised at Naruto's interruption. "Hold up! One, it's Na-ru-to. God, did you guys dare yourselves to say that the longest? And, two, what is it with that fucking but! I didn't harm Gaara-"_

_"You bit me."_

_"Not helping! And see," he gestured to him, "_he's_ talking," then to the bodyguards, "and you guys are too! Just stop being bastards already! Talking to me and being with me is _irresistible_." He then turned to Tsunade. "By the way, did you know my parents met them?"_

_Yes. Indeed a walking conundrum the single-minded idiot was. Gaara would be lying if he said he still wasn't amused by all this display of Narutoness up here on the rooftop._

_"Good to know we haven't lost you, man." Kiba teased, playfully hitting Naruto's shoulder with a smile._

_Isamu sighed, turning his attention to the blonde. "His father worries, Uzumaki-kun. We'll just do a background check on you tomorrow but seeing as you're... _their_ son, I'm sure things would go smoothly on your connection to Gaara-dono." He even raised a smirked the red-head had _never_ seen him done._

_"Besides," Makoto said, knuckling the blond hair, "I don't think a little runt like you would stop at anything!"_

_Naruto kicked his shin. "Who're you calling little runt, _Mato-san!_ You're small too, ya know?"_

_"Why you-"_

_"Enough," Hiroshi interrupted. "The matter will be settled tomorrow. For now, Gaara-dono, we have your class to get to and the children as well, unless they wish for a 2-year detention Sabaku-sama could order."_

_Kiba immediately raised his hands in the air. "No, man. I'm good."_

_"I don't even know why I bothered," Shikamaru added. _

_Naruto suddenly went beside him. "Fine. But guys, you should meet Gaara. I'll be bringing him to our lunch area tomorrow." Everyone's eyes were on him. Why the hell did he sound so certain that that would happen? Naruto gave a gentle nudge at his shoulder. "C'mon. This guy won't bite. You won't, right?"_

_The red-head eyed him pointedly but said nothing._

_"Fine. Just introduce yourself already."_

_What was he? A kindergarten newcomer? Nonetheless, Gaara muttered his name but paired it with a glare._

_Kiba flinched. "K-Kiba Inuzuka. Sup?" _

_Shikamaru sighed lazily but with the way his eyes traced his features, he didn't seem to be as lackadaisical as one should think. As a matter of fact, the guy was interesting in his own right. The pineapple-haired boy sent him a nod. "Che. Typical choice, Naruto. Shikamaru Nara."_

_Typical choice? Gaara didn't bother to think too much into it and rested his eyes on the blonde. If for a second he thought he was gonna be with them tomorrow, might as well give him his own piece. "Idiot, you-"_

_"-actually think you're going to be with us? Of course!" he chirped happily. What was he, a psychic or something? Then he frowned. "Gaara, might as well call me Naruto, you know."_

_The red-head crossed his arms. He suddenly felt a sense of superiority with the way the blonde was a few inches smaller than he. "I'd rather call you Uzu-" His words cut short when he caught the sapphires dim a little. What the hell did he do?_

_"Uzu? What the fuck is Uzu, huh?!"_

_Did he imagine it or something? Had this still something to do with that Uchiha? And why, oh why, was he thinking too much on this? His eyes took note of the way it frustrated the blonde so much the accidental nickname he said. Gaara smirked. "I'm calling you Uzu and that's that."_

_"Oh yeah?" Naruto's eyes flew around his person, probably trying to find a name that would come from his features. "Then I'm calling you... uh... tanuki! Yeah that's right!" The blonde seemed so triumphant with the nickname by the way he crossed his arms and nodded satisfyingly._

_Gaara rolled his eyes. Despite that, he didn't fail to notice the... foreign feeling bubbling in his insides at the idea of being able to provoke Naruto so much and having his words sent back. He never actually realized how interesting it felt to have an actual conversation with someone his age. Talking to old people was too dull._

_"Alright," Tsunade suddenly said, "Everyone should get going then. Gaki, you're paying for the broken lock. It was supposed to be removed tomorrow, anyways, but you just _had_ to destroy it, didn't you?"_

_Naruto rubbed the back of his neck and smiled sheepishly. "Ehe... right."_

_"Nara, Inuzuka, get to class. Gaara, I believe you should to. And no skipping, gaki!"_

_Everyone started walking out to the door. The two brunettes headed off first, not before sending a glance at their blonde friend, Tsunade following behind them, the bodyguards who eyed Naruto skeptically before allowing both boys to walk behind the three of them._

_As they reached the last step, suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder, a warm breath on his ear. "Hey, Gaara... talk it out with your dad, alright?"_

_The red-head stiffened and glared the smiling blonde. "What're you-"_

_And then he was running in the opposite direction. "See you around, tanuki!"_

Gaara's consciousness came to him with the sudden weight that fell beside him. Despite that, he didn't bother to open his eyes just yet and settled with inhaling the sweet vanilla and ramen scent of his lover. (Vanilla shampoo, ramen because he had probably just eaten) His mind still drifted to those days... those days when Naruto dropped in little hints of encouragement to settle things with his father. He didn't force but just gave little pushes.

Within those days, as well, despite the ever-growing affection of the blonde and the butlers, Naruto had been able to talk things out with Temari -he apparently knew her for a reason Gaara had yet to know- and let the bodyguards out of his school life. Influences gradually grew like Gaara teaching Naruto and Naruto making him more socially active. Both examples didn't go so well but... there were results... just not what they both expected.

By the time Gaara took the courage to come to his father's study -with a little help from the blonde, the bodyguards and, surprisingly, his adopted siblings- it was a day he could never forget.

_"I've grown to hate you, that fact may have been true once, but you're my son, Gaara. I couldn't ask for anything more. I don't want to hurt you any longer. So please..."_

He could still remember it. The way he ran to his father's arms, the tight around his body and the tears that fell on his shoulders.

_"I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry..."_

It hadn't been an act. And when he asked him about Yashamaru...

_"He was your mother's brother first, your uncle second. I don't know why I didn't see that. I never intended for him to... to hurt you."_

Long story short, their bond gradually grew through time. The blonde saw through this and simply hugged him the following day. Like with his father, his start with Naruto was quite awkward until it grew to the point that Gaara couldn't imagine his life without the blonde. They knew their insides and out, the demons they faced everyday.

Gaara with his... mental and physical issues.

The blonde with Uchiha Sasuke.

Making Naruto open up to him about that wasn't something he forced out of him either. It was only until their relationship bloomed to something else, a year after their friendship, that he knew most of that dilemma of the blonde. Gaara simply accepted the fact and the information he was given to him whilst occasionally reminding Naruto of the support he would always readily give.

"Gaara, you're awake, aren't you? Your eyelid's shifty."

The red-head opened his eyes a bit. "I can't sleep, Uzu."

Naruto sighed, taking him in his arms and started running his hand through the red locks. "Goddamn you, tanuki."

A smile was at his lips as his eyes fluttered shut.

Yes, even if the incoming months forebode dangers to their relationship, for now, he would stay happy with the blonde beside him.

* * *

**A/N: **Ahhhh the scene on the rooftop was so difficult to write! I had to make everyone talk while Gaara should be having his thoughts damn. Not sure if Change went better but I did my best. This chapter isn't really a filler... I dropped a few hints for the plot after all. Let's see if you find them.

For the syndromes stuff, I'm not too certain about it but yeah, the details were taken from wiki. It has a better description in some other website (webmd I think). I just really thought it could fit Gaara so well... except, of course, he doesn't have it :)

This time, guys, I _really _could be gone in a month. I just couldn't resist posting after your long reviews. We'll see though if the deadline would again be discarded. (Maybe coz some would be unsatisfied with this chapter) I already have my idea for the next chapter anyways. It shall be written on a plane whoo!

Leave a response! (rev, fave, follow)


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